Worst NFL contracts in 2024, led by the Deshaun Watson and Dak Prescott contracts (original) (raw)
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What is the worst contract in the NFL? With NFL revenue skyrocketing and the salary cap following suit, salaries for players at nearly every position have exploded. Plenty of deals work out but it’s also not hard to find some of the worst NFL contracts that continue to look bad as time goes on.
It should come as no surprise that the Deshaun Watson contract is the worst in the NFL. Many around the league were critical of the Cleveland Browns for doing it back in 2022. Two years later, the deal looks even worse. While no other contract is on that level, there are quite a few pacts around the NFL that won’t work out for the team.
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Here are the worst NFL contracts in 2024.
Deshaun Watson, QB, Cleveland Browns – 5 years, $230 million (fully guaranteed)
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Desperation convinced the Cleveland Browns that putting more than two dozen accusations of sexual misconduct against Deshaun Watson was not only worth it but that the quarterback deserved the first contract with more than $200 million guaranteed. In two seasons as the Browns starting quarterback, when he could be on the field, Watson had a worse QB rating (81.7) than Baker Mayfield (88.8) and Jacoby Brissett (92.6). What makes this so much worse for Cleveland is that restructuring the deal to create more cap room in 2024 means there will be an even bigger price to pay in the years to come
- Deshaun Watson contract: 63.774millioncaphitin2024,63.774 million cap hit in 2024, 63.774millioncaphitin2024,63.977 million cap hit in 2025, 63.977millioncaphitin2025,63.977 million cap hit in 2025, 63.977millioncaphitin2025,8.984 million void money in 2027
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Von Miller, EDGE, Buffalo Bills- 6 years, $120 million
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The Buffalo Bills wanted to make a splash before the 2022 NFL season, an all-in move to help get over the hump to win the Lombardi Trophy. So, they signed edge rusher Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million contract. Buffalo was banking on instant production, needing it before Miller got into his mid-30s and Father Time caught up to him. He netted 8 sacks in 11 games in his first year, but an ACL tear ended his age-33 campaign and he was so bad in his first year back that Buffalo had to bench him. He might have a little gas left in the tank as a 35-year-old, but the Bills have gotten very little out of a deal that looked bad at the time and is even worse in hindsight.
- Von Miller contract: $15.154 million cap hit in 2024
- 2025 Pre-June 1 release: 15.417milliondeadcap,15.417 million dead cap, 15.417milliondeadcap,8.457 million cap savings
- 2025 Post-June 1 release: 6.374milliondeadcaphit(’25),6.374 million dead cap hit (’25), 6.374milliondeadcaphit(’25),9.043 million dead cap (’26), $17.5 million cap savings
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Derek Carr, QB, New Orleans Saints- 4 years, $150 million
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No NFL franchise loves getting itself into the depths of salary-cap hell and then clawing its way back into compliance like the New Orleans Saints. Well over the 2024 NFL salary cap entering the offseason, New Orleans restructured the Derek Carr contract to create $24 million in immediate cap relief. Unfortunately, that means this franchise is stuck with a quarterback whose heavy reliance on dumping passes off and playing like a game-managing backup easily makes this one of the worst NFL contracts right now. Of course, New Orleans will renegotiate the deal again in 2025 for cap relief
- Derek Carr contract: 12.668millioncaphitin2024,12.668 million cap hit in 2024, 12.668millioncaphitin2024,51.458 million cap hit in 2025, $61.458 million cap hit in 2026
- 2026 Pre-June 1 release: 32.784millioncapsavings,32.784 million cap savings, 32.784millioncapsavings,28.674 million dead cap
- 2026 Post-June 1 release: 50millioncapsavings,50 million cap savings, 50millioncapsavings,11.458 million dead cap
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Dak Prescott, QB, Dallas Cowboys – 4 years, $240 million
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The Dallas Cowboys put themselves in this situation. Franchise-tagging Dak Prescott twice gave him complete leverage in contract talks, including a clause that he couldn’t receive the franchise tag in 2025. With no other way to prevent him from hitting NFL free agency and a $40 million cap hit in 2025 if he was off the team, Dallas needed to sign Prescott.
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He took full advantage of Jerry Jones, who claims to be one of the best businessmen in the world. The Dak Prescott contract – 60millionperseason–is60 million per season – is 60millionperseason–is5 million higher per year than the second-closest player in NFL history (Jordan Love and Joe Burrow). Now only that, Prescott’s 240milliontotalvaluecomeswith240 million total value comes with 240milliontotalvaluecomeswith231 million guaranteed, which beats the Deshaun Watson contract ($230 million) for the most guaranteed money in NFL history. Prescott earned this deal because Jones and the Cowboys’ front office utterly botched negotiations. It’s rare for players to take advantage of a franchise to his extent and Prescott did it. Frankly, he could’ve made it even worse if he made Dallas wait until 2025.
Daniel Jones, QB, New York Giants – 4 years, $160 million
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We’ll start with this, the Daniel Jones contract isn’t nearly as bad as some of the others on this list. While committing nearly 48millionincapspaceto,atbesttop−20quarterback,iswastefultherearen’thugelong−termcappenaltieswiththisdeal.However,theGiantsareatriskoflandinginatightspot.IfJonessuffersasignificantinjuryduringthe2024season,itwouldguarantee48 million in cap space to, at best top-20 quarterback, is wasteful there aren’t huge long-term cap penalties with this deal. However, the Giants are at risk of landing in a tight spot. If Jones suffers a significant injury during the 2024 season, it would guarantee 48millionincapspaceto,atbesttop−20quarterback,iswastefultherearen’thugelong−termcappenaltieswiththisdeal.However,theGiantsareatriskoflandinginatightspot.IfJonessuffersasignificantinjuryduringthe2024season,itwouldguarantee23 million of his 2025 salary. The injury risk and the 2024 cap hit make this a bad deal, especially because re-signing Saquon Barkley in 2023 was a better option, but this contract could’ve been much worse.
- Daniel Jones contract: 47.855millioncaphitin2024,47.855 million cap hit in 2024, 47.855millioncaphitin2024,41.605 million cap hit in 2025, 458.605 million cap hit in 2026
- 2025 Pre-June 1 cut: 19.395millioncapsavings,19.395 million cap savings, 19.395millioncapsavings,22.21 million dead cap
- 2025 Post-June 1 cut: 30.5millioncapsavings,30.5 million cap savings, 30.5millioncapsavings,11.105 million dead cap
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Taysom Hill, TE, New Orleans Saints – 4 years, $40 million
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We’ve just never understood the New Orleans Saints’ fascination with Taysom Hill. The so-called ‘quarterback’ Sean Payton once compared to Steve Young and even now Dennis Allen is talking about in press conferences, Hill is also overpaid. He carries a 15.789millioncaphitin2024,asa34−year−old,makinghimoneofthehighest−paidtightendsinfootballthisyearandnext(15.789 million cap hit in 2024, as a 34-year-old, making him one of the highest-paid tight ends in football this year and next (15.789millioncaphitin2024,asa34−year−old,makinghimoneofthehighest−paidtightendsinfootballthisyearandnext(15.789 million). New Orleans is getting approximately 650-plus scrimmage yards for that price and that’s even assuming Father Time doesn’t start sapping some athleticism.
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Miles Sanders, RB, Carolina Panthers – 4 years, $25.4 million
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What makes the Miles Sanders contract so bad is the fact he might be the fourth-string running back in 2024. Chuba Hubbard easily outproduced him last season in the same environment and we know Jonathon Brooks is going to see a lot more work than Sanders. Meanwhile, Sanders carries a 7.695millioncaphitin2024andwillhavemadeover7.695 million cap hit in 2024 and will have made over 7.695millioncaphitin2024andwillhavemadeover14 million in two years with the Panthers by the time he becomes a salary cap casualty in 2025. The only reason he might stay on the Panthers roster this season, or at least for the start of it, is because rookie Jonathon Brooks will miss the first few weeks recovering from an ACL tear.
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Joey Bosa, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers – 5 years, $135 million
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The thought process behind signing Joey Bosa to a five-year, $135 million contract extension was sound by the Los Angeles Chargers. At the time, he had 82 QB hits and 40 sacks in his first four seasons. While he only played 7 games in 2018, he appeared in al 16 the following year. Sadly for Los Angeles, staying on the field has been a big problem for Bosa ever since. He’s played 16 games just once (2021, 10.5 sacks) and that was his only year with double-digit sacks. In the last two seasons, he has 14 QB hits and 9 sacks combined in 14 games. The contract hasn’t worked out, but Los Angeles can get out of it in 2025.
- Joey Bosa contract: $26.111 million cap hit in 2024
- 2025 release: 25.36millioncapsavings,25.36 million cap savings, 25.36millioncapsavings,11.111 million dead cap hit
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Kirk Cousins, QB, Atlanta Falcons – 4 years, $180 million
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The process is the reason why this is one of the worst NFL contracts right now. Given the Atlanta Falcons’ quarterback desperation, we were willing to look past the fact that the team gave a quarterback coming off an Achilles tear $100 million guaranteed heading into his age-36 season. What you can’t do as an organization is make that kind of commitment and then use a top-10 pick on Michael Penix Jr. If Atlanta cares that much about the future, then it never should’ve signed Cousins in the first place.
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Jerry Jeudy, WR, Cleveland Browns
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The Cleveland Browns have two of the worst NFL contracts in 2024, both handed out by general manager Andrew Berry. It’s also worth noting that Berry assembled one of the best rosters in football. The Jeudy acquisition and extension are harder to justify. The former first-round pick never really put it together with the Denver Broncos, finishing with fewer than 800 receiving yards twice in the last three seasons. Yet, upon acquiring him, Cleveland signed Jeudy to a 58millionextensionwith58 million extension with 58millionextensionwith41 million guaranteed and a $17.5 million average annual salary. This is the same team that nearly traded for Brandon Aiyuk this summer, has 2023 third-round pick Cedric Tillman working with the starters and might expand Elijah Moore’s role this year. Jeudy feels like wasted money and it seems very unlikely Cleveland gets anything close to what it paid for him.