Image via Complex Original
For those of you who were asleep at the wheel yesterday, Andy Dalton — the "star" quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals — signed a six-year, $115 million deal with more than $18 million guaranteed. Yes, that Andy Dalton. The same Andy Dalton that has gone 0-3 in his last three trips to the postseason with six picks, a 56.2 Rating, and only one touchdown. A $115 million contract.
Now some people will tell you this deal isn't nearly as grand as it appears and that it's actually quite reasonable by current quarterback contract standards, but $115 million is still $115 million. The deal still gives the red-haired gunslinger a lot more ginger bread, and even eclipses Colin Kaepernick's recent $126 million contract in terms of guaranteed money.
More guaranteed money to an 0-3 playoff starter than for a guy who went to back-to-back NFC Championship Games and a Super Bowl? Welcome to the nonsense world of NFL contracts.
NFL contracts have long proven problematic for people using logic or common sense, and Andy Dalton's recent payday fits right in with the rest. Throw nine more interceptions than touchdowns? Don't worry you're still due over $16 million next season, Eli. Throw 27 touchdowns and only two interceptions? Sorry, Nick Foles, NFL rules prevent you from making more than $700,000.
In a league with as much parity as the NFL and at a time when the "Not For Long" moniker fits the extreme level of roster turnover, it's amazing how quickly a contract can go from paying a deserving player to crippling a franchise's chances. What seems like good money today can turn into paying Matt Ryan $20 million a year tomorrow. With so many underpaid and overpaid signal callers in the NFL, we present 10 Current NFL Quarterbacks Whose Contracts Make Less Sense Than Andy Dalton's.
Matt Ryan
Contract: $103 million total, $20.7 million a year, $42 Million guaranteed
2013 stats: 4,515 yards, 67.4 comp %, 26 TDs, 17 INTs
Matt Ryan might be the most generic quarterback in the league. He's good...not great. Which is harder than it looks when your offensive options are two of the best wide receivers in the league and the greatest tight end who ever lived. Sure the Falcons defense isn't what it once was and the offensive line needs some work, but when you're pulling in over $20 million a year, a 4-12 record ain't gonna cut it.
At least hes got that really symmetrical face going for him, though.
Sam Bradford
Contract: $78 million total, $13 million a year, $50 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 1,718 yards, 60.7 comp %, 14 TDs, 4 INTs
Talk about perfect timing. Sam Bradford was the last quarterback to take advantage of the old CBA, thus signing a contract under the old rules before the amount a quarterback could earn in their first deal was drastically scaled back. For comparisons sake, Cam Newton — the #1 overall selected QB the year after Bradford — only has $22 million in guaranteed money, less than half of what Bradford got. FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS GUARANTEED? For that money the Rams could've signed six Johnny Manziels and still had $2 million left over for, um, me.
Matt Stafford
Contract: $53 million total, $18 million a year, $41.5 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 4,650 yards, 58.5 comp %, 29 TDs, 19 INTs
Matt Stafford by most accounts is a talented quarterback with a monster arm, but let's face it: you could pay almost anyone to chuck the ball down field to Megatron and not win playoff games. Hell, I'd launch pigskins down the sideline to the best WR on earth and not win all the playoff games you want for over $40 million guaranteed. Just give me the go-ahead. I'll stare down Calvin Johnson and not win the NFC North right this second.
Tony Romo
Contract: $108 million total, $18 million a year, $40 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 3828 yards, 63.9 comp %, 31 TDs, 10 INTs
Tony Romo's flaws are well documented: he chokes late in games, can't win in the playoffs, is sponsored by Starter, etc. The list goes on. But the truth is that Tony Romo is a much better late-game quarterback than people think, at least according to advanced metrics. And while $18 million a year is a lot for a QB who hasn't won in the playoffs since the 2009 season, Tony tends to catch more shit than he deserves. Such is the life of America's Team's quarterback.
If Dallas had a defense and was better in the trenches Tony Romo might not be on this list, but facts are facts. And if you're one of the highest-paid players on one of the highest-profile teams in the sport, you have to win when it matters.
Russell Wilson
Contract: $3 million total, $662,434 a year, $3 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 3,357 yards, 63.1 comp %, 26 TDs, 9 INTs
Not all contracts are nonsensical because they're too inflated; sometimes contracts don't make sense because they're too cheap. Sure this contract is the by-product of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, but that doesn't mean it makes sense that this year's Super Bowl-winning QB is only the third highest paid quarterback ON HIS OWN TEAM (shout out to Tavaris Jackson). Russ "I Get My Hair Cut In A Creative Space" Wilson is worth far more than the $662,000 he's currently making, and sooner than later the Seahawks are going to have to pay up.
Eli Manning
Contract: $97.5 million total, $16.2 million a year, $35 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 3,818 yards, 57.5 comp %, 18 TDs, 27 INTs
It feels like Eli got stuck on the wrong setting last year, like he should have been set on "Mediocrity Until The Playoffs" and instead got locked in on "Relentless Interceptions". This is what you're paying $16 million a year for, New York? Twenty-seven picks?
Hard to knock a guy with two Super Bowl rings, but if Elisha throws up another playoffless 27-interception season it'll be interesting to see if he can pawn those rings off for another year as the starter.
Jay Cutler
Contract: $126 million total, $18 million a year, $38 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 2,621 yards, 63.1 comp %, 19 TDs, 12 INTs
Smokin' Jay is another quarterback that's too talented to run out of town, but too shaky to ever give full confidence. Chicago has its share of Jay Cutler detractors, but nobody doubts the QB's level of talent. He has the arm and command of the team to lead the Bears to the promised land, but his "gunslinger" mentality often ends up costing him. Is an injury-prone quarterback with turnover issues worth $18 million annually? He is if you ask Brandon Marshall.
Joe Flacco
Contract: $120 million total, $20 million a year, $29 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 3,912 yards, 59.0 comp %, 19 TDs, 22 INTs
Fresh off his 2012 Super Bowl-winning run, Joe Flacco became the poster child for bad quarterback contracts. We all knew it was coming since — as USMNT head coach Jurgen Kinsmann pointed out — we Americans love to pay players for what they did in the past and not necessarily what they'll do in the future. Jersey Joe took his Super Bowl ring, $29 million in guaranteed money, and followed it up with 22 picks and a playoff staycation in B-more.
Nick Foles
Contract: $3 million total, $615,000 a year, $3 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 2,891 yards, 64.0 comp %, 27 TDs, 2 INTs
Another case of a guy being extremely underpaid. Like Russell Wilson, Nick Foles' contract currently has him getting screwed out of the millions his production warrants. What did Nick "Folds" get for tying the NFL record for touchdowns in a single game, leading the Eagles offense to the most single-year points in team history, and throwing an incredible 27 touchdowns with only two interceptions? Roughly $200,000 less this season than a single Sam Bradford game check. Get your money up, Nicky.
Carson Palmer
Contract: $16 million total, $8 million a year, $10 million guaranteed
2013 stats: 4,274 yards, 63.3 comp %, 24 TDs, 22 INTs
Yes, it's 2014. And yes, Carson Palmer is still cashing heavy game checks. Arizona had one of the more low-key solid teams last season, but even with an emerging defense and an All-World wide receiver, still couldn't make the playoffs. Which is no easy task considering powerhouses San Francisco and Seattle are their division, but when you pay an aging quarterback $10 million guaranteed to manage games and instead he throws 22 interceptions, chances are the contract doesn't fit the QB. At least Andy Dalton's best days are seemingly still ahead of him. Hard to justify paying that much money for the Raiders' leftovers.