The subject of the “finest” and “worst” contracts within the NFL is complicated due to the complexity of league’s contract construction. Positive, we are able to check out Deshaun Watson’s absolutely assured five-year, $230 million take care of the Browns and throw it proper into the second bucket. Full catastrophe for the staff. Watson was suspended for the primary 11 video games of the deal and hasn’t been in a position to present constant well being or play in any of its first three years. He is injured now and will sit out the upcoming season, and the Browns nonetheless must pay him a totally assured $46 million for 2025 and once more in 2026. Disaster.
However not all of those circumstances are so easy. In 2023, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts signed a contract that briefly made him the highest-paid participant within the league (till Lamar Jackson and others surpassed him in that very same offseason). However the construction of Hurts’ five-year, $255 million deal may be very team-friendly, permitting the Eagles to repeatedly convert choice bonuses that assist them unfold out the wage cap hits and hold Hurts’ cap quantity down. For instance, Hurts will earn $42.5 million in money this 12 months whereas his cap hit sits a shade below $22 million.
Doing a team-friendly construction did not essentially value Hurts a ton of cash. And like Patrick Mahomes earlier than him, Hurts has signaled a willingness to assist the staff handle its cap so it might probably proceed to maintain the roster robust round him. The Eagles having simply received the Tremendous Bowl within the second 12 months of Hurts’ extension gives assist for his determination. However by way of {dollars}, Hurts definitely might have held the Eagles’ ft to the hearth by ready to signal his extension or insisting on more cash up entrance. Within the context of franchise QB contracts leaguewide, Hurts’ is among the many extra team-friendly.
So that is what we need to do right here. This is not about labeling contracts because the “finest” or “worst,” as a result of plenty of that depends upon perspective. A contract that is “dangerous” for the staff could possibly be “nice” for the participant, and vice versa. We needed to focus on a few place teams and take a look at the poles in every — a few of the most team-friendly offers versus a few of the most player-friendly offers — and clarify why. We start, as we at all times appear to, with the quarterbacks.
Soar to a place:
QB | RB | WR | Edge | CB | S
Quarterback
The deal: Three years, $100.5 million with $37.5 million absolutely assured at signing and $55 million in complete ensures
Darnold was an unrestricted free agent this offseason, when most groups believed there weren’t many nice quarterback choices. So for Seattle to get him on this deal is spectacular, particularly after he threw 35 landing passes final season with the Vikings. The Seahawks have a longstanding coverage of not guaranteeing any cash in veteran contracts exterior of the primary 12 months. So Darnold’s full assure consists of his $32 million signing bonus, his $5.3 million 2025 wage and his $200,000 exercise bonus. That is it. If the Seahawks need to stroll away after this season, they’d owe him not more than that $37.5 million.
If Darnold remains to be on the Seahawks’ roster 5 days after the Tremendous Bowl this season, then his $15 million 2026 roster bonus turns into absolutely assured, as does $2.5 million of his $12.3 million in 2026 wage. So if Seattle makes the Tremendous Bowl, it must decide proper after the season. (However let’s be sincere, if the Seahawks play within the Tremendous Bowl this season, Darnold will most likely have performed nicely sufficient to stay round one other 12 months for that value.)
If Darnold performs out the primary two years of this contract, he’ll have made $65 million. If he performs all three, he’ll get the complete $100.5 million. That is nonetheless simply $33.5 million per 12 months, which makes Darnold the 18th highest-paid quarterback within the league by common annual wage. Group-friendly deal.
The deal: 4 years, $240 million with $129 million absolutely assured at signing and $231 million in complete ensures
Prescott took this proper out to the tip. With one 12 months left on his contract final offseason, he did not signal this extension till actually the morning of Dallas’ Week 1 sport. Had the deal not been achieved earlier than kickoff that day, it is doable Prescott might have performed out the 2024 season and grow to be an unrestricted free agent. In spite of everything, the earlier extension he signed with Dallas in 2021 contained a clause prohibiting the Cowboys from utilizing the franchise tag on him.
Ready paid off for Prescott. He collected a $78,458,333 signing bonus — technically an $80 million signing bonus that considerably hilariously needed to be prorated down as a result of gamers had already been paid their Week 1 salaries by the point he signed the deal — and one other $7.8 million in money in 2024. The deal additionally included a assured $47.75 million for 2025, and an injury-guaranteed $40 million for 2026 that transformed to a full assure this previous March.
So what makes this deal player-friendly (apart from the no-franchise clause, the no-trade clause and the large signing bonus)? If the Cowboys have been to launch Prescott proper now, he’d nonetheless have collected a complete of $174 million for one season. Prescott’s deal continues to profit him at a excessive degree. His $45 million 2027 wage turns into absolutely assured if he is nonetheless on the Cowboys’ roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league 12 months (subsequent March), and $17 million of his $55 million 2028 wage turns into absolutely assured if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league 12 months. The percentages of Prescott seeing the complete $231 million in ensures (no coincidence, by the best way, that quantity is $1 million greater than Watson’s $230 million) are extraordinarily excessive.
One little bit of comfort for the Cowboys? Due to the insurance coverage coverage they’ve, and since Prescott sat out the ultimate 9 video games of the 2024 season due to a hamstring damage, the Cowboys have been in a position to recoup about $6.4 million of the signing bonus. However Prescott did not must pay that again; the insurance coverage firm did. Participant-friendly deal.
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Working again
The deal: 4 years, $48 million with $12.5 million absolutely assured at signing and $12.5 million in complete ensures
Final offseason, when Saquon Barkley was cashing in massive as a free agent and operating backs basically have been getting offers it appeared they’d by no means get once more, the Packers signed Jacobs as a relative cut price.
Jacobs was solely 26 when he signed the deal, however the cause it is a whole lot for the Packers is that they made no dedication to him past that first 12 months. Jacobs acquired a $12.5 million signing bonus, a non-guaranteed $1.2 million wage and a few exercise and per-game roster bonuses that pushed his complete 2024 compensation as much as $14.8 million. Three operating backs — Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry — presently common greater than that per season, so it is good cash for one season.
However Jacobs delivered, speeding for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns in his first season in Inexperienced Bay. And if the Packers determined they needed or wanted to maneuver on from him this offseason, they’d solely have been out that $14.8 million. After all, they are not doing that; he is 27 years outdated and simply had an enormous season. So that they’ll hold him this 12 months and pay him one other $8.2 million — $1.17 million in base wage, a $5.93 million roster bonus, a $600,000 exercise bonus and $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses so long as he performs all 17 video games. (The Packers wish to keep away from future-year ensures in veteran contracts.)
If the Packers lower Jacobs after this season, they’d have paid him $23 million over two years — a mean of $11.5 million per 12 months, which ranks sixth amongst operating backs. Completely affordable, particularly given the best way he has carried out. Except the Packers reward Jacobs with an extension after his robust first season — the best way the Eagles did with Barkley and the Ravens did with Henry — he’ll proceed to be probably the greatest values within the league at his place. And if his play falls off, Inexperienced Bay can lower him with out owing him any cash.
The deal: 4 years, $35,895,812 absolutely assured at signing, plus a fifth-year staff choice for 2029
We’re utilizing this deal to make some extent. There’s nothing the Raiders might do about this. As soon as they picked Jeanty at No. 6 on this 12 months’s draft, this was going to be his contract; rookie offers are slotted, and first-round picks get their offers absolutely assured. However we use Jeanty’s deal right here to focus on the explanations that taking a operating again this excessive within the draft represents poor worth.
Proper now, there may be precisely one operating again within the league whose contract comprises extra absolutely assured cash than Jeanty’s deal: Barkley. Jeanty’s common annual wage of $8,973,953 additionally ranks eleventh amongst all NFL operating backs. He has not but carried the ball as soon as in an NFL sport, and but solely 10 gamers at his place earn more money than him.
Rookie offers are player-friendly as a result of they’re absolutely assured, however the place worth makes a operating again picked within the high 10 look as if he hit the lottery. Quarterback Cameron Ward, the No. 1 decide on this 12 months’s draft, will make about $12.2 million per 12 months on his rookie deal, which ranks twenty third amongst quarterbacks in the meanwhile. Mason Graham, the defensive deal with taken one spot earlier than Jeanty, will make about $10.2 million per 12 months, which ranks thirtieth amongst defensive tackles.
Jeanty could be a superb participant for the Raiders. He may even be an impressive one. However a rookie operating again deal for a participant who’s the No. 6 decide gives no worth in any way to the staff and is one thing like free cash for the participant. From the Raiders’ standpoint, the best-case situation is that Jeanty performs like a top-11 operating again within the league for 3 or 4 years whereas incomes top-11 operating again cash after which they find yourself having to pay him much more.
Huge receiver
The deal: 4 years, $132 million with $60 million absolutely assured at signing and $60 million in complete ensures
This appears like a fairly candy deal for Metcalf, who has averaged 73 catches per season in his six-year NFL profession and has caught 90 balls in a season solely as soon as. However within the present galaxy of high vast receiver contracts, this one is not so dangerous for the staff. The Steelers pays the 27-year-old Metcalf $35 million this 12 months — a $30 million signing bonus and a $5 million wage — and $25 million in 2026. After that, it is fully as much as them. His 2027 wage of $20 million by no means turns into assured, in opposition to damage or in any other case.
Metcalf does have a bit little bit of roster bonus safety. If he is nonetheless on the roster on the third day of the 2027 league 12 months, the Steelers pays him a $6.5 million roster bonus. On the third day of the 2028 and 2029 league years would come a $5 million roster bonus in every. So in the event that they needed to chop him after 2026, they’d must do it by the third day of the league 12 months in March 2027 to keep away from paying him one other $6.5 million.
However that is not more likely to be a lot of a deterrent in the event that they go in that course, and it seems Metcalf is conscious of that being a possible tipping level. a duplicate of his contract, he signed the web page concerning the 2027 roster bonus with a smiley face subsequent to his identify. He did not try this on some other web page of the contract. So that is actually a two-year dedication, and each side appear to realize it. Given what high wideouts are making nowadays, how badly the Steelers wanted one and Metcalf’s comparatively younger age, it is a good deal for Pittsburgh.
2:15
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Dan Graziano factors out the Lions play seven outside video games this season – an enormous leap from simply three final 12 months – which might pose a problem.
The deal: 4 years, $161 million with $73.9 million absolutely assured at signing and $112 million in complete ensures
Chase leveraged his sensible first 4 seasons (5,425 receiving yards and 46 TD catches) and the endorsement of quarterback Joe Burrow right into a contract that proper now makes him the league’s highest-paid non-quarterback. He additionally received the Bengals, who till Burrow had by no means assured cash exterior of the signing bonus in a veteran contract, to incorporate future-year ensures. Chase will obtain:
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$8.07 million in 2025 wage
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Separate 2025 roster bonuses of $22 million and $10 million
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$1 million in per-game roster bonuses that have been assured at signing
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A $100,000 offseason exercise bonus
That is a complete of $41.17 million absolutely assured within the first 12 months of the deal. This changed the $21.8 million he was set to make this season on the fifth-year choice from his rookie deal. He additionally will get $32.73 million in 2026 wage and bonuses, which have been absolutely assured at signing. His 2027 wage of $28.9 million is assured in opposition to damage and turns into absolutely assured if he is on the Bengals’ roster on the fifth day of the 2026 league 12 months (alongside together with his $1 million in 2026 per-game roster bonuses). His 2028 wage is $31.9 million, of which $7 million is already assured in opposition to damage and turns into absolutely assured if he is on the roster on the fifth day of the 2027 league 12 months.
So … if the Bengals needed to chop Chase after this season, they’d have paid him $73.9 million for one season. In the event that they needed to chop him after 2026, they’d have paid him $73.9 million for 2 seasons. In the event that they needed to chop him after 2027, they’d have paid him $103.8 million for 3 seasons — which remains to be $34.6 million per 12 months. The truth that Chase and his agent received the Bengals — who detest future-year ensures like poison — to do that deal is a triumph that contract historians are more likely to examine for years to return.
Edge rusher
The deal: Three years, $106.5 million with $62.5 million assured at signing and $91.5 million in complete ensures
Crosby had two years left on his earlier contract when he and the Raiders agreed on a brand new deal this previous spring. The brand new deal successfully prolonged his contract by means of 2029 but additionally made some alterations to the ultimate two years of his earlier deal. His earlier extension (signed within the spring of 2024) included $23.118 million in wage and bonuses for 2025 and $19.722 million in wage and bonuses for 2026, none of which was assured. The brand new deal ensures him $32.5 million in 2025 and $30 million in 2026. So it is a good elevate and improved safety over what he signed the 12 months earlier than.
There are two methods to take a look at this. Crosby is now scheduled to make $149.34 million over the following 5 years — a mean of $29.868 million, which might rank him fifth amongst edge rushers. However in the event you take simply the brand new cash — the $106.5 million — and divide it by the three new years, that is a mean of $35.5 million per 12 months, which ranks him third behind solely Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter.
The deal is team-friendly as a result of the Raiders (who do not put signing bonuses of their veteran offers and due to this fact haven’t got dead-money issues after they resolve to launch a participant) aren’t dedicated to Crosby past 2026. His $29 million 2027 wage turns into absolutely assured if he is nonetheless on the roster in March 2026, however that also means they’d find yourself paying him a bit greater than $29 million per 12 months over 2024-27.
Crosby is simply 27 years outdated. And given his manufacturing (59.5 sacks over six seasons), he most likely might have squeezed the Raiders for extra. He loves being a Raider and has mentioned he needed to construction his deal to assist the group handle its cap round him. That is to the staff’s profit, which is why this qualifies as a team-friendly deal.
The deal: Two years, $49 million with $48 million absolutely assured — plus a one-year, $35.6 million extension
Observe together with me, if you’ll. As an unrestricted free agent in 2024, Hunter signed with Houston for $49 million over two years. Of that $49 million, $48 million was absolutely assured at signing (in case you are questioning simply how averse NFL staff homeowners are to totally assured offers). Hunter acquired a $21 million signing bonus and $8.5 million in wage and bonuses within the first 12 months of the deal, so he collected $29.5 million in money in 2024. (This included $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses that weren’t assured, however he performed all 17 video games so he received all of them.) His unique deal additionally assured him $19 million in 2025 wage (plus one other non-guaranteed $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses).
So the Texans received to this offseason and have been having Hunter below contract for one 12 months and $19.5 million. Good deal for them in the event that they did nothing. However Hunter was coming off a 12-sack season and deserved a elevate. With just one 12 months left on the deal, the Texans did not need to danger letting him play out the deal and depart as a free agent subsequent 12 months, so that they did an extension. The brand new deal will increase his 2025 pay from $19.5 million to $32 million (of which $31.5 million is assured) and provides a 2026 season that features $22.6 million absolutely assured.
All informed, Hunter will find yourself making $61.5 million in his first two years in Houston and a totally assured $84.1 million over his first three. And since he was prolonged for just one 12 months, one other robust season by him would put Houston in the identical boat subsequent offseason of getting to increase him once more or let him play out the ultimate 12 months of his contract.
Cornerback
The deal: 4 years, $96 million with $40,688,565 absolutely assured at signing and $77.5 million in complete ensures
Surtain signed this deal simply earlier than the beginning of the 2024 season, which might show to be an enormous season for him and earn him the Defensive Participant of the 12 months award. Perhaps he ought to have waited till after the season and after the Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley Jr. offers got here in, and requested the Broncos if both of them has ever received DPOY. Although Surtain’s deal is powerful, it should not rank behind these two gamers.
Surtain acquired a $15 million signing bonus, a totally assured $3.519 million in 2024 and a totally assured $22.17 million in 2025. His $17.632 million in 2026 compensation was injury-guaranteed at signing and have become absolutely assured this previous March, so he is certain to have earned $58.321 million over the primary three years of the deal. That is a mean of $19.44 million per 12 months. Distinction that with Horn, who will earn $64.472 million over the primary three years of his deal in Carolina, and it appears as if the Broncos received a cut price (extra on Horn’s deal in a second).
You would make the case that Surtain did his deal too early or that Horn was sensible to attend, however trying on the two offers subsequent to one another makes you scratch your head. The higher participant on the identical place received $6 million much less in complete ensures. And certain, Surtain landed $11 million extra in damage ensures, however he has by no means been injured. And Horn has been so much.
Surtain’s deal turned out to be nice for the Broncos, who most likely confront a necessity to present him a elevate if he retains enjoying the best way he has been enjoying and the cornerback market continues to race previous him.
The deal: 4 years, $100 million with $46.707 million absolutely assured at signing and $72 million in complete ensures
Horn signed his extension in March, six months after Surtain signed his extension with the Broncos. Horn received a $28.402 million signing bonus, a totally assured $1.67 million in 2025 and a totally assured $16.635 million in 2026. His common annual wage of $25 million is the second highest of any nook within the league, surpassed solely by Stingley, who signed a couple of week later and will even have been the instance right here.
The explanation we picked Horn is as a result of he managed to get a top-two CB deal after 4 years within the league, throughout which he has performed solely 37 of a doable 68 video games. Horn is a pleasant participant, nonetheless solely 25 years outdated and coming off a largely wholesome season that landed him his first Professional Bowl nod. However he has been inconsistent by way of well being all through his profession and now has a deal that absolutely ensures him cash in 2026 and consists of virtually $23 million in complete damage ensures in 2027 and 2028.
Principally, Horn and his agent received the Panthers to guess massive that the damage points will keep behind him and that he’ll blossom into the participant they believed they have been getting with the No. 8 decide within the 2021 draft. However that is a fairly large guess in a risk-averse league, and the truth that Horn was in a position to high Surtain makes this contract an enormous, massive win.
Security
The deal: 4 years, $86 million with $24.381 million absolutely assured at signing and $36.121 million in complete ensures
Joseph acquired a $10.011 million signing bonus and a totally assured $1.61 million in 2025, a totally assured $11.5 million in 2026 and a totally assured $1.26 million in 2027. It is at all times good to get any absolutely assured cash within the third 12 months, so we’re not sneezing at that. However total, Joseph’s deal appears to fall in need of different gamers at his place who’ve signed lately. Camryn Bynum’s free agent take care of the Colts this offseason, for instance, consists of an $18 million signing bonus and $26 million in full ensures.
If Joseph sticks round, he stands to make $18.5 million in 2027, $21 million in 2028 and $26 million in 2029. However these years are a great distance off, and the one ensures they embrace are that $1.26 million in 2027. If the Lions need to, they will get out of this deal after the 2026 season having paid Joseph a complete of $24.381 million. And Joseph’s deal must be fairly useful for the Lions, whose checklist of extension-eligible gamers over the following calendar 12 months and a half consists of Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell and Brian Department.
The deal: 4 years, $84.1 million with $45 million absolutely assured at signing and $45 million in complete ensures
Winfield is the league’s second-highest paid security by common annual wage, simply barely behind Joseph. However the remainder of the deal is nice for Winfield as compared.
Winfield received a $20 million roster bonus in 2024 and absolutely assured salaries of $4 million in 2024 and $21 million in 2025. He is certain to make $45 million over the primary two years of the deal and would make $64.5 million over the primary three if he stays in Tampa Bay. It is robust cash, given the remainder of the security market.
