"All the national attention Stevie Johnson attracted last week for his touchdown celebration penalty obscured one fact: He's getting a pot of gold before next season.

Johnson has done enough this year to ensure that some team, if not the Bills, is going to pay big money for his services. The fact the Bills have yet to reach a deal on a contract extension with him means the Bills have missed any window they might have had to re-sign him for slightly under market value.

The time to get him at under market value was August or September, or maybe even immediately after quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick signed his contract extension on Oct. 29. Early in the season, a player in his contract year still has some motivation to strike an under-market deal, because he's getting security in the event of a serious injury during the season.

With only five games remaining starting with today's meeting with the Tennessee Titans at Ralph Wilson Stadium, the finish line of the season is in sight. Any player who makes it through four NFL seasons healthy and in the prime of his career owes it to himself to either hit the free-agent market or get true, fair-market value for his services.

Does that mean Johnson is gone? Not necessarily. The Bills still have the franchise tag in their pocket. They could use it on Johnson if no extension can be worked out between now and February. The franchise tag would guarantee Johnson about $9.5 million in 2012 on a one-year deal.

Would the Bills actually let one of their best players, at age 25, walk into free agency without keeping him in the fold with the franchise tag? Who knows? If they're willing to commit $9.5 million to him for next season, one would think they would be able to reach an extension of his deal."