The two ends of the NFL contract spectrum: Team- and player-friendly deals at six positions

The taxable of the "best" and "worst" contracts successful the NFL is analyzable due to the fact that of the complexity of league's declaration structure. Sure, we tin instrumentality a look astatine Deshaun Watson's afloat guaranteed five-year, $230 cardinal deal with the Browns and propulsion it close into the 2nd bucket. Complete catastrophe for the team. Watson was suspended for the archetypal 11 games of the woody and hasn't been capable to amusement accordant wellness oregon play successful immoderate of its archetypal 3 years. He's injured present and could beryllium retired the upcoming season, and the Browns still person to wage him a afloat guaranteed $46 cardinal for 2025 and again successful 2026. Catastrophe.

But not each of these cases are truthful simple. In 2023, Eagles backmost Jalen Hurts signed a declaration that concisely made him the highest-paid subordinate successful the league (until Lamar Jackson and others surpassed him successful that aforesaid offseason). But the operation of Hurts' five-year, $255 cardinal deal is precise team-friendly, allowing the Eagles to continually person enactment bonuses that assistance them dispersed retired the wage headdress hits and support Hurts' headdress fig down. For example, Hurts volition gain $42.5 cardinal successful currency this twelvemonth portion his headdress deed sits a shadiness nether $22 million.

Doing a team-friendly operation didn't needfully outgo Hurts a ton of money. And similar Patrick Mahomes earlier him, Hurts has signaled a willingness to assistance the squad negociate its headdress truthful it tin proceed to support the roster beardown astir him. The Eagles having conscionable won the Super Bowl successful the 2nd twelvemonth of Hurts' hold offers enactment for his decision. But successful presumption of dollars, Hurts surely could person held the Eagles' feet to the occurrence by waiting to motion his hold oregon insisting connected much wealth up front. In the discourse of franchise QB contracts leaguewide, Hurts' is among the much team-friendly.

So that's what we privation to bash here. This isn't astir labeling contracts arsenic the "best" oregon "worst," due to the fact that a batch of that depends connected perspective. A declaration that's "bad" for the squad could beryllium "great" for the player, and vice versa. We wanted to item a mates of presumption groups and look astatine the poles successful each -- immoderate of the astir team-friendly deals versus immoderate of the astir player-friendly deals -- and explicate why. We begin, arsenic we ever look to, with the quarterbacks.

Jump to a position:
QB | RB | WR | Edge | CB | S

Quarterback

Team-friendly deal: Sam Darnold, Seattle Seahawks

The deal: Three years, $100.5 million with $37.5 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $55 cardinal successful full guarantees

Darnold was an unrestricted escaped cause this offseason, erstwhile astir teams believed determination weren't galore large backmost options. So for Seattle to get him connected this woody is impressive, particularly aft helium threw 35 touchdown passes past play with the Vikings. The Seahawks person a longstanding argumentation of not guaranteeing immoderate wealth successful seasoned contracts extracurricular of the archetypal year. So Darnold's afloat warrant consists of his $32 cardinal signing bonus, his $5.3 cardinal 2025 wage and his $200,000 workout bonus. That's it. If the Seahawks privation to locomotion distant aft this season, they'd beryllium him nary much than that $37.5 million.

If Darnold is inactive connected the Seahawks' roster 5 days aft the Super Bowl this season, past his $15 cardinal 2026 roster bonus becomes afloat guaranteed, arsenic does $2.5 cardinal of his $12.3 cardinal successful 2026 salary. So if Seattle makes the Super Bowl, it would person to marque a determination close aft the season. (But let's beryllium honest, if the Seahawks play successful the Super Bowl this season, Darnold volition astir apt person played good capable to instrumentality astir different twelvemonth for that price.)

If Darnold plays retired the archetypal 2 years of this contract, he'll person made $65 million. If helium plays each three, he'll get the afloat $100.5 million. That's inactive conscionable $33.5 cardinal per year, which makes Darnold the 18th highest-paid backmost successful the league by mean yearly salary. Team-friendly deal.

Player-friendly deal: Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys

The deal: Four years, $240 million with $129 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $231 cardinal successful full guarantees

Prescott took this close retired to the end. With 1 twelvemonth near connected his declaration past offseason, helium didn't motion this hold until virtually the greeting of Dallas' Week 1 game. Had the woody not been done earlier kickoff that day, it's imaginable Prescott could person played retired the 2024 play and go an unrestricted escaped agent. After all, the erstwhile hold helium signed with Dallas in 2021 contained a clause prohibiting the Cowboys from utilizing the franchise tag connected him.

Waiting paid disconnected for Prescott. He collected a $78,458,333 signing bonus -- technically an $80 cardinal signing bonus that somewhat hilariously had to beryllium prorated down due to the fact that players had already been paid their Week 1 salaries by the clip helium signed the woody -- and different $7.8 cardinal successful currency successful 2024. The woody besides included a guaranteed $47.75 cardinal for 2025, and an injury-guaranteed $40 cardinal for 2026 that converted to a afloat warrant this past March.

So what makes this woody player-friendly (other than the no-franchise clause, the no-trade clause and the monolithic signing bonus)? If the Cowboys were to merchandise Prescott close now, he'd inactive person collected a full of $174 cardinal for one season. Prescott's woody continues to payment him astatine a precocious level. His $45 cardinal 2027 wage becomes afloat guaranteed if he's inactive connected the Cowboys' roster connected the 5th time of the 2026 league twelvemonth (next March), and $17 cardinal of his $55 cardinal 2028 wage becomes afloat guaranteed if he's connected the roster connected the 5th time of the 2027 league year. The likelihood of Prescott seeing the afloat $231 cardinal successful guarantees (no coincidence, by the way, that fig is $1 cardinal higher than Watson's $230 million) are highly high.

One spot of consolation for the Cowboys? Because of the security argumentation they have, and due to the fact that Prescott sat retired the last 9 games of the 2024 play due to the fact that of a hamstring injury, the Cowboys were capable to recoup astir $6.4 cardinal of the signing bonus. But Prescott didn't person to wage that back; the security institution did. Player-friendly deal.

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Running back

Team-friendly deal: Josh Jacobs, Green Bay Packers

The deal: Four years, $48 million with $12.5 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $12.5 cardinal successful full guarantees

Last offseason, erstwhile Saquon Barkley was cashing in large arsenic a escaped cause and moving backs successful wide were getting deals it appeared they'd ne'er get again, the Packers signed Jacobs arsenic a comparative bargain.

Jacobs was lone 26 erstwhile helium signed the deal, but the crushed it's a bully woody for the Packers is that they made nary committedness to him beyond that archetypal year. Jacobs received a $12.5 cardinal signing bonus, a non-guaranteed $1.2 cardinal wage and immoderate workout and per-game roster bonuses that pushed his full 2024 compensation up to $14.8 million. Three moving backs -- Barkley, Christian McCaffrey and Derrick Henry -- presently mean much than that per season, truthful it's bully wealth for 1 season.

But Jacobs delivered, rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns successful his archetypal play successful Green Bay. And if the Packers decided they wanted oregon needed to determination connected from him this offseason, they'd lone person been retired that $14.8 million. Of course, they aren't doing that; he's 27 years aged and conscionable had a immense season. So they'll support him this twelvemonth and wage him different $8.2 cardinal -- $1.17 cardinal successful basal salary, a $5.93 cardinal roster bonus, a $600,000 workout bonus and $500,000 successful per-game roster bonuses arsenic agelong arsenic helium plays each 17 games. (The Packers similar to debar future-year guarantees successful seasoned contracts.)

If the Packers chopped Jacobs aft this season, they'd person paid him $23 cardinal implicit 2 years -- an mean of $11.5 cardinal per year, which ranks sixth among moving backs. Totally reasonable, particularly fixed the mode helium has performed. Unless the Packers reward Jacobs with an hold aft his beardown archetypal play -- the mode the Eagles did with Barkley and the Ravens did with Henry -- he'll proceed to beryllium 1 of the champion values successful the league astatine his position. And if his play falls off, Green Bay tin chopped him without owing him immoderate money.

Player-friendly deal: Ashton Jeanty, Las Vegas Raiders

The deal: Four years, $35,895,812 afloat guaranteed astatine signing, positive a fifth-year squad enactment for 2029

We're utilizing this woody to marque a point. There's thing the Raiders could bash astir this. Once they picked Jeanty astatine No. 6 successful this year's draft, this was going to beryllium his contract; rookie deals are slotted, and first-round picks get their deals afloat guaranteed. But we usage Jeanty's woody present to item the reasons that taking a moving backmost this precocious successful the draught represents mediocre value.

Right now, determination is precisely 1 moving backmost successful the league whose declaration contains much afloat guaranteed wealth than Jeanty's deal: Barkley. Jeanty's mean yearly wage of $8,973,953 besides ranks 11th among each NFL moving backs. He has not yet carried the shot erstwhile successful an NFL game, and yet lone 10 players astatine his presumption marque much wealth than him.

Rookie deals are player-friendly due to the fact that they're afloat guaranteed, but the presumption worth makes a moving backmost picked successful the apical 10 look arsenic if helium deed the lottery. Quarterback Cameron Ward, the No. 1 prime successful this year's draft, volition marque astir $12.2 cardinal per twelvemonth connected his rookie deal, which ranks 23rd among quarterbacks astatine the moment. Mason Graham, the antiaircraft tackle taken 1 spot earlier Jeanty, volition marque astir $10.2 cardinal per year, which ranks 30th among antiaircraft tackles.

Jeanty mightiness beryllium a good subordinate for the Raiders. He mightiness adjacent beryllium an outstanding one. But a rookie moving backmost woody for a subordinate who's the No. 6 prime offers nary worth whatsoever to the squad and is thing similar escaped wealth for the player. From the Raiders' standpoint, the best-case script is that Jeanty plays similar a top-11 moving backmost successful the league for 3 oregon 4 years portion earning top-11 moving backmost wealth and past they extremity up having to wage him adjacent more.

Wide receiver

Team-friendly deal: DK Metcalf, Pittsburgh Steelers

The deal: Four years, $132 million with $60 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $60 cardinal successful full guarantees

This looks similar a beauteous saccharine woody for Metcalf, who has averaged 73 catches per play successful his six-year NFL vocation and has caught 90 balls successful a play lone once. But successful the existent postulation of apical wide receiver contracts, this 1 isn't truthful atrocious for the team. The Steelers volition wage the 27-year-old Metcalf $35 cardinal this twelvemonth -- a $30 cardinal signing bonus and a $5 cardinal wage -- and $25 cardinal successful 2026. After that, it's wholly up to them. His 2027 wage of $20 cardinal ne'er becomes guaranteed, against wounded oregon otherwise.

Metcalf does person a small spot of roster bonus protection. If he's inactive connected the roster connected the 3rd time of the 2027 league year, the Steelers volition wage him a $6.5 cardinal roster bonus. On the 3rd time of the 2028 and 2029 league years would travel a $5 cardinal roster bonus successful each. So if they wanted to chopped him aft 2026, they'd person to bash it by the 3rd time of the league twelvemonth successful March 2027 to debar paying him different $6.5 million.

But that's not apt to beryllium overmuch of a deterrent if they spell successful that direction, and it appears Metcalf is alert of that being a imaginable tipping point. Looking astatine a transcript of his contract, helium signed the leafage astir the 2027 roster bonus with a smiley look adjacent to his name. He didn't bash that connected immoderate different leafage of the contract. So this is truly a two-year commitment, and some sides look to cognize it. Given what apical wideouts are making these days, however severely the Steelers needed 1 and Metcalf's comparatively young age, it's a bully woody for Pittsburgh.

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Player-friendly deal: Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals

The deal: Four years, $161 million with $73.9 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $112 cardinal successful full guarantees

Chase leveraged his superb archetypal 4 seasons (5,425 receiving yards and 46 TD catches) and the endorsement of backmost Joe Burrow into a declaration that close present makes him the league's highest-paid non-quarterback. He besides got the Bengals, who until Burrow had ne'er guaranteed wealth extracurricular of the signing bonus successful a seasoned contract, to see future-year guarantees. Chase volition receive:

• $8.07 cardinal successful 2025 salary

• Separate 2025 roster bonuses of $22 cardinal and $10 million

• $1 cardinal successful per-game roster bonuses that were guaranteed astatine signing

• A $100,000 offseason workout bonus

That's a full of $41.17 cardinal afloat guaranteed successful the archetypal twelvemonth of the deal. This replaced the $21.8 cardinal helium was acceptable to marque this play connected the fifth-year enactment from his rookie deal. He besides gets $32.73 cardinal successful 2026 wage and bonuses, which were afloat guaranteed astatine signing. His 2027 wage of $28.9 cardinal is guaranteed against wounded and becomes afloat guaranteed if he's connected the Bengals' roster connected the 5th time of the 2026 league twelvemonth (along with his $1 cardinal successful 2026 per-game roster bonuses). His 2028 wage is $31.9 million, of which $7 cardinal is already guaranteed against wounded and becomes afloat guaranteed if he's connected the roster connected the 5th time of the 2027 league year.

So ... if the Bengals wanted to chopped Chase aft this season, they'd person paid him $73.9 cardinal for 1 season. If they wanted to chopped him aft 2026, they'd person paid him $73.9 cardinal for 2 seasons. If they wanted to chopped him aft 2027, they'd person paid him $103.8 cardinal for 3 seasons -- which is inactive $34.6 cardinal per year. The information that Chase and his cause got the Bengals -- who loathe future-year guarantees similar poison -- to bash this woody is simply a triumph that declaration historians are apt to survey for years to come.

Edge rusher

Team-friendly deal: Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders

The deal: Three years, $106.5 million with $62.5 cardinal guaranteed astatine signing and $91.5 cardinal successful full guarantees

Crosby had 2 years near connected his previous contract erstwhile helium and the Raiders agreed connected a caller woody this past spring. The caller woody efficaciously extended his declaration done 2029 but besides made immoderate alterations to the last 2 years of his erstwhile deal. His erstwhile hold (signed successful the outpouring of 2024) included $23.118 cardinal successful wage and bonuses for 2025 and $19.722 cardinal successful wage and bonuses for 2026, nary of which was guaranteed. The caller woody guarantees him $32.5 cardinal successful 2025 and $30 cardinal successful 2026. So it's a bully rise and improved information implicit what helium signed the twelvemonth before.

There are 2 ways to look astatine this. Crosby is present scheduled to marque $149.34 cardinal implicit the adjacent 5 years -- an mean of $29.868 million, which would fertile him 5th among borderline rushers. But if you instrumentality conscionable the caller wealth -- the $106.5 cardinal -- and disagreement it by the 3 caller years, that's an mean of $35.5 cardinal per year, which ranks him 3rd down lone Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter.

The woody is team-friendly due to the fact that the Raiders (who don't enactment signing bonuses successful their seasoned deals and truthful don't person dead-money problems erstwhile they determine to merchandise a player) aren't committed to Crosby beyond 2026. His $29 cardinal 2027 wage becomes afloat guaranteed if he's inactive connected the roster successful March 2026, but that inactive means they'd extremity up paying him a small much than $29 cardinal per twelvemonth implicit 2024-27.

Crosby is lone 27 years old. And fixed his accumulation (59.5 sacks implicit six seasons), helium astir apt could person squeezed the Raiders for more. He loves being a Raider and has said helium wanted to operation his deal to assistance the enactment negociate its headdress astir him. That's to the team's benefit, which is wherefore this qualifies arsenic a team-friendly deal.

Player-friendly deal: Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans

The deal: Two years, $49 million with $48 cardinal afloat guaranteed -- positive a one-year, $35.6 million extension

Follow on with me, if you will. As an unrestricted escaped cause successful 2024, Hunter signed with Houston for $49 cardinal implicit 2 years. Of that $49 million, $48 cardinal was afloat guaranteed astatine signing (in lawsuit you're wondering conscionable however averse NFL squad owners are to afloat guaranteed deals). Hunter received a $21 cardinal signing bonus and $8.5 cardinal successful wage and bonuses successful the archetypal twelvemonth of the deal, truthful helium collected $29.5 cardinal successful currency successful 2024. (This included $500,000 successful per-game roster bonuses that were not guaranteed, but helium played each 17 games truthful helium got them all.) His archetypal woody besides guaranteed him $19 cardinal successful 2025 wage (plus different non-guaranteed $500,000 successful per-game roster bonuses).

So the Texans got to this offseason and were looking astatine having Hunter nether declaration for 1 twelvemonth and $19.5 million. Nice woody for them if they did nothing. But Hunter was coming disconnected a 12-sack play and deserved a raise. With lone 1 twelvemonth near connected the deal, the Texans didn't privation to hazard letting him play retired the woody and permission arsenic a escaped cause adjacent year, truthful they did an extension. The caller woody increases his 2025 wage from $19.5 cardinal to $32 cardinal (of which $31.5 cardinal is guaranteed) and adds a 2026 play that includes $22.6 cardinal afloat guaranteed.

All told, Hunter volition extremity up making $61.5 cardinal successful his archetypal 2 years successful Houston and a afloat guaranteed $84.1 cardinal implicit his archetypal three. And due to the fact that helium was extended for lone 1 year, different beardown play by him would enactment Houston successful the aforesaid vessel adjacent offseason of having to widen him again oregon fto him play retired the last twelvemonth of his contract.

Cornerback

Team-friendly deal: Pat Surtain II, Denver Broncos

The deal: Four years, $96 million with $40,688,565 afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $77.5 cardinal successful full guarantees

Surtain signed this woody conscionable earlier the commencement of the 2024 season, which would beryllium to beryllium a monolithic play for him and gain him the Defensive Player of the Year award. Maybe helium should person waited until aft the play and aft the Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley Jr. deals came in, and asked the Broncos if either of them has ever won DPOY. Though Surtain's woody is strong, it shouldn't fertile down those 2 players.

Surtain received a $15 cardinal signing bonus, a afloat guaranteed $3.519 cardinal successful 2024 and a afloat guaranteed $22.17 cardinal successful 2025. His $17.632 cardinal successful 2026 compensation was injury-guaranteed astatine signing and became afloat guaranteed this past March, truthful he's definite to person earned $58.321 cardinal implicit the archetypal 3 years of the deal. That's an mean of $19.44 cardinal per year. Contrast that with Horn, who volition gain $64.472 cardinal implicit the archetypal 3 years of his woody successful Carolina, and it looks arsenic if the Broncos got a bargain (more connected Horn's woody successful a moment).

You could marque the lawsuit that Surtain did his woody excessively aboriginal oregon that Horn was astute to wait, but looking astatine the 2 deals adjacent to each different makes you scratch your head. The amended subordinate astatine the aforesaid presumption got $6 cardinal little successful full guarantees. And sure, Surtain landed $11 cardinal much successful wounded guarantees, but helium has ne'er been injured. And Horn has been a lot.

Surtain's woody turned retired to beryllium large for the Broncos, who astir apt face a request to springiness him a rise if helium keeps playing the mode helium has been playing and the cornerback marketplace continues to contention past him.

Player-friendly deal: Jaycee Horn, Carolina Panthers

The deal: Four years, $100 million with $46.707 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $72 cardinal successful full guarantees

Horn signed his hold successful March, six months aft Surtain signed his hold with the Broncos. Horn got a $28.402 cardinal signing bonus, a afloat guaranteed $1.67 cardinal successful 2025 and a afloat guaranteed $16.635 cardinal successful 2026. His mean yearly wage of $25 cardinal is the 2nd highest of immoderate country successful the league, surpassed lone by Stingley, who signed astir a week later and could besides person been the illustration here.

The crushed we picked Horn is due to the fact that helium managed to get a top-two CB woody aft 4 years successful the league, during which helium has played lone 37 of a imaginable 68 games. Horn is simply a bully player, inactive lone 25 years aged and coming disconnected a mostly steadfast play that landed him his archetypal Pro Bowl nod. But helium has been inconsistent successful presumption of wellness passim his vocation and present has a woody that afloat guarantees him wealth successful 2026 and includes astir $23 cardinal successful full wounded guarantees successful 2027 and 2028.

Basically, Horn and his cause got the Panthers to stake large that the wounded issues volition enactment down him and that he'll blossom into the subordinate they believed they were getting with the No. 8 prime successful the 2021 draft. But that's a beauteous large stake successful a risk-averse league, and the information that Horn was capable to apical Surtain makes this declaration a big, large win.

Safety

Team-friendly deal: Kerby Joseph, Detroit Lions

The deal: Four years, $86 million with $24.381 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $36.121 cardinal successful full guarantees

Joseph received a $10.011 cardinal signing bonus and a afloat guaranteed $1.61 cardinal successful 2025, a afloat guaranteed $11.5 cardinal successful 2026 and a afloat guaranteed $1.26 cardinal successful 2027. It's ever bully to get immoderate afloat guaranteed wealth successful the 3rd year, truthful we're not sneezing astatine that. But overall, Joseph's woody seems to autumn abbreviated of different players astatine his presumption who've signed recently. Camryn Bynum's escaped cause deal with the Colts this offseason, for example, includes an $18 cardinal signing bonus and $26 cardinal successful afloat guarantees.

If Joseph sticks around, helium stands to marque $18.5 cardinal successful 2027, $21 cardinal successful 2028 and $26 cardinal successful 2029. But those years are a agelong mode off, and the lone guarantees they see are that $1.26 cardinal successful 2027. If the Lions privation to, they tin get retired of this woody aft the 2026 play having paid Joseph a full of $24.381 million. And Joseph's woody should beryllium rather adjuvant for the Lions, whose database of extension-eligible players implicit the adjacent calendar twelvemonth and a fractional includes Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, Jack Campbell and Brian Branch.

Player-friendly deal: Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The deal: Four years, $84.1 million with $45 cardinal afloat guaranteed astatine signing and $45 cardinal successful full guarantees

Winfield is the league's second-highest paid information by mean yearly salary, conscionable slightly down Joseph. But the remainder of the woody is large for Winfield successful comparison.

Winfield got a $20 cardinal roster bonus successful 2024 and afloat guaranteed salaries of $4 cardinal successful 2024 and $21 cardinal successful 2025. He's definite to marque $45 cardinal implicit the archetypal 2 years of the woody and would marque $64.5 cardinal implicit the archetypal 3 if helium stays successful Tampa Bay. It's beardown money, fixed the remainder of the information market.