Worst Contracts in NFL History

Salary cap or not, teams have given some players a lot of money in lousy deals.

Worst Contracts in NFL History

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning after throwing an interception against the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017.

The NFL may have a salary cap, but it has no limit on dunderheadedness. Whether out of desperation or lack of vision or just plain old ignorance, decision-makers are capable of momentous mistakes, the ramifications of which can be felt for years.

The absolute worst player contracts in the salary-cap era span many teams. We aren't considering those who underperformed because of health issues. So Shaun Alexander, LeCharles Bentley, Daunte Culpepper, David Givens, Jerick McKinnon and Javon Walker are off the hook.

Also, duds such as Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell will be spared another public flogging. They had bad contracts because they were bad draft picks.

Please hold your boos until the end.

30. Chris Boswell, Placekicker

Team: Pittsburgh Steelers

Years: 2018-present

Contract terms: 4 years, $16.8 million

Actual cost: $8 million-plus

Return on investment: 15 G, 13 FG, 20 FGA, .650 FG%

Bottom line: Not even the Heinz Field sandlot could throw him off in his first three seasons in the league. Then he agreed to a long-term deal at the fifth-highest average salary at the position. Doink!

League-wide, the no-good kicker ranked 34th (next to last) in field goals and 28th (third to last) in extra-point percentage in the 2018 season.

Now the beancounters would have to eat $6.8 million in dead money to get rid of him.

29. Jerry Porter, Wide Receiver

Team: Jacksonville Jaguars

Year: 2008

Contract terms: 6 years, $30 million

Actual cost: $7.5 million

Return on investment: 11 REC, 181 YDS, 1 TD

Bottom line: Team management thought with its heart, not its head, when it made a sizable commitment to the free agent after the 2007 season.

True, the wideout had a fairly productive 44-catch season with the Oakland Raiders one season earlier, but the next Jimmy Smith, he was not.

After one season with the Jaguars, he latched on with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, but a torn ACL ended his career before he could play another game.

28. Matt Flynn, Quarterback

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Year: 2012

Contract terms: 3 years, $26 million

Actual cost: $8 million

Return on investment: 3 G, 55.6 CMP%, 68 YDS, 0 TD

Bottom line: If the Seahawks had signed the 26-year-old back-up to be their quarterback of the future, that would have been one thing. But so unsure were they about his upside, Russell Wilson was drafted in the third round only weeks later.

Basically, the guy made a small fortune off one meaningless game, a six-touchdown, 480-yard performance in Week 17 the previous season.

He was dealt to the Oakland Raiders for a fifth-rounder one year later.

27. Dwayne Allen, Tight End

Team: Indianapolis Colts

Year: 2016

Contract terms: 4 years, $29.4 million

Actual cost: $11.9 million

Return on investment: 14 G, 35 REC, 406 YDS, 6 TD

Bottom line: The talent evaluators chose the more well-rounded Dwayne Allen over Coby Fleener as their No. 1 at the position. No problem there.

But no way did the veteran warrant Rob Gronkowski-like numbers after a subpar 2015 season, when he ranked near the bottom in yards per pass route and as a run blocker among qualifiers.

26. Joe Johnson, Defensive End

Team: Green Bay Packers

Year: 2002-03

Contract terms: 6 years, $33 million

Actual cost: $13.7 million

Return on investment: 11 G, 16 tackles, 2.0 sacks

Bottom line: Mike Sherman offered a jumbo contract (with a $6.5 million signing bonus) to the free agent on the strength of back-to-back productive seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

Apparently, the Packers head coach-general manager hadn’t read the fine print: At 30, the veteran was two years removed from right patellar tendon, left torn cartilage and spinal disc surgeries that sidelined him for the entire 1999 season. Two sacks and 11 games later, his pro career was kaput.

Moral of the story: Make sure the head coach and GM are not the same person.

25. Jermaine Gresham, Tight End

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Years: 2017-18

Contract terms: 4 years, $28 million

Actual cost: $14.5 million

Return on investment: 27 G, 42 REC, 416 YDS, 2 TD

Bottom line: The veteran committed more dumb penalties than he scored touchdowns (two) before his release after the 2018 season.

Let’s just say Cardinals general manager Steve Keim has had prouder moments.

24. Adam Archuleta, Safety

Team: Washington Redskins

Year: 2006

Contract terms: 7 years, $30 million

Actual cost: $13.7 million

Return on investment: 16 G, 60 tackles, 0 INT

Bottom line: The 29-year-old veteran always had been a hitter first and foremost, but operations chief Vinny Cerrato saw fit to make him the highest-paid safety in the league, anyway.

By midseason, he was the highest-paid special teams player in the league, not to mention a "miserable dredge as a person," as he would admit later.

He was traded to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round draft pick after the season.

23. Nate Solder, Offensive Tackle

Team: New York Giants

Years: 2018-present

Contract terms: 4 years, $62 million

Actual cost: $22 million-plus

Return on investment: 16 G, 1 fumble recoveries

Bottom line: Quality blind-side tackles are good to have in these pass-happy times. But an average 31-year-old player with the second-highest salary at the position on a non-contender, not so much.

Granted, statuesque quarterback Eli Manning (more on him later) can make almost any lineman look bad, but as the numbers confirm, the veteran simply isn’t the same player that he was in his New England Patriots days.

22. DeAngelo Hall, Cornerback

Team: Oakland Raiders

Year: 2008

Contract terms: 7 years, $70 million

Actual cost: $7.6 million

Return on investment: 8 G, 48 tackles, 3 interceptions

Bottom line: The Raiduhs invested second- and fifth-round draft picks with the expectation that the two-time Pro Bowler would be a shutdown pass defender.

About all he did in eight games was contract a serious case of windburn.

Just pay the man $950,000 per game, baby.

21. Junior Galette, Defensive End

Team: New Orleans Saints

Year: 2014

Contract terms: 4 years, $41.5 million

Actual cost: $18.7 million

Return on investment: 16 G, 45 tackles, 10 sacks

Bottom line: In the first year of a monstrous contract extension, the Haitian had a team-high 10 sacks with a porous defense that ranked next to last in yards allowed.

He was arrested on domestic violence charges in the offseason, when a video appeared to show him striking his live-in girlfriend on two occasions. The charge was dropped — and so was he from the roster five months later.

He left behind a killer 17.5 million salary-cap hit.

20. Kirk Cousins, Quarterback

Team: Minnesota Vikings

Years: 2018-2020

Contract terms: 3 years, $84 million

Actual cost: $26 million-plus

Return on investment: 16 G, 70.1 CMP%,/4,298 YDS, 30 TD

Bottom line: The veteran isn’t a bad quarterback. In fact, his 99.7 rating was 10th in the league in the 2018 season. Yet just OK failed to justify his $29 million salary-cap hit, which ranked No. 2 in the league.

Now his hamstrung team is roughly $14 million above the threshold, also second overall.

That’s no way to do business in the salary-cap era.

19. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Wide Receiver

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Year: 2009

Contract terms: 5 years, $40 million

Actual cost: $13.7 million

Return on investment: 16 G, 79 REC, 911 YDS, 3 TD

Bottom line: Houshmandidthis? Soon-to-be-fired general manager Tim Ruskell, that’s who.

Even though the veteran was about to turn 32 years old and no longer a difference-maker, he was offered a long-term deal, $15 million of it guaranteed. That was a reported $2 million more than the next highest bidder.

He was released after a three-touchdown, two-fumble season.

18. Nnamdi Asomugha, Cornerback

Team: Philadelphia Eagles

Years: 2011-12

Contract terms: 5 years, $60 million

Actual cost: $25 million

Return on investment: 32 G, 95 tackles, 4 INT

Bottom line: When the Iggles landed one of the supposed plums of the 2011 free-agent class, they considered him to be another piece to their so-called dream team.

What they got was a 30-year-old who was repeatedly toasted in pass coverage. When the former Oakland Raider refused to restructure his contract before the 2013 season, he was sent on his way.

Asomugha fun fact: He endeared himself to teammates with his preference to eat lunch in his car at practices.

17. Peerless Price Wide Receiver

Team: Atlanta Falcons

Years: 2003-04

Contract terms: 7 years, $37.5 million

Actual cost: $20.7 million

Return on investment: 32 G, 109 REC, 1,413 YDS, 6 TD

Bottom line: The Falcons paid the wideout to be a No. 1, but he played more like No. 2 if you catch my drift.

In two seasons, he had a pathetic 44.1 percent catch rate. (Disclaimer: Michael Vick was the quarterback.)

Worse yet, the front office coughed up a first-rounder to the Buffalo Bills to get him, a pick that turned out to be running back Willis McGahee, who would have a productive career.

16. Josh Norman, Cornerback

Team: Washington Redskins

Years: 2016-18

Contract terms: 5 years, $75 million

Actual cost: $50.7 million-plus

Return on investment: 46 G, 195 tackles, 6 INT

Bottom line: We're reluctant to include a current non-quarterback on this list, but with two years left on the deal, no way can the veteran can live up to these terms.

For one, the guy is 31 years old, an age that sets off sirens at his position. He also comes off a crummy season in which he was second to last in opponent quarterback rating (114.2) among regulars.

To his credit, the veteran has been a positive role model for younger teammates, but that doesn’t mean diddly poo on third-and-long, does it?

15. Joe Flacco, Quarterback

Team: Baltimore Ravens

Years: 2016-2018

Contract terms: 3 years, $66.4 million

Actual cost: $62 million

Return on investment: 41 G, 63.75 CMP%, 9,923 YDS, 50 TD

Bottom line: General manager Ozzie Newsome has long been among the best in the biz, but even he’s capable of a brain fart once in a while.

Joe Cool was 31 years old when right ACL and MLC injuries shortened his miserable 2015 season. Because club management had neglected to find a potential successor — Ryan Mallett, anyone? — it was quick to offer a contract extension that made Joe Average the highest-paid quarterback at the time.

The team treaded water for three seasons, after which the one-time Super Bowl MVP was dealt to the Denver Broncos for no more than a fourth-round draft pick.

14. Matthew Stafford, Quarterback

Years: 2018-present

Contract terms: 5 years, $135 million

Actual cost: $66.5 million-plus

Return on investment: 16 G, 66.1 CMP%, 3,777 YDS, 21 TD

Bottom line: Sure, Statford, uh, Stafford often puts up acceptable numbers, but is the 31-year-old a franchise quarterback? The guy hasn’t won a playoff game in 10 seasons, although it’s not entirely his fault. Therein lies the conundrum.

Because his max contract extension consumes nearly 16 percent of the salary cap, it takes shrewd talent evaluation and money management to put a quality group around him.

And when was the last time this franchise was known for that?

13. Eli Manning, Quarterback

Team: New York Giants

Years: 2016-present

Contract terms: 4 years, $84 million

Actual cost: $47.5 million-plus

Return on investment: 47 G, 63.6 CMP%, 11,794 YDS, 66 TD

Bottom line: When the 33-year-old Manning put up passable numbers with a 6-10 team that wasn’t close to contention, it clearly was time to find his successor. But nooooo, general manager Jerry Reese (read: CEO John Mara) decided on a lengthy contract extension that set the franchise back.

Fast-forward to the present, and the G-Men have a 38-year-old man with the 18th-highest base salary in the league behind center.

And they just started to groom their quarterback of the future.

12. Derrick Dockery, Offensive Tackle

Team: Buffalo Bills

Year: 2007-08

Contract terms: 7 years, $49 million

Actual cost: $19.1 million

Return on investment: 32 G, 2 fumble recoveries

Bottom line: What was general manager Mark Levy thinking here?

The veteran offensive tackle had been little more than above average with the Washington Redskins for four seasons, then was offered the third-richest contract at the position ever.

His brief Bills career featured 12 penalties and another goofy Chris Berman nickname ("Hickory Dickory") before he was cut loose.

11. Jared Allen, Defensive End

Team: Chicago Bears

Years: 2014-15

Contract terms: 4 years, $32 million

Actual cost: $14.7 million

Return on investment: 18 G, 60 tackles, 5.5 sacks

Bottom line: General manager Phil Emery rolled the dice on the 31-year-old pass rusher, and they came up snake eyes.

In 18 games, the has-been did little more than add 5 1/2 sacks to his resume.

After the defense switched to a 3-4 alignment in the 2015 season, he was dealt to the Carolina Panthers in return for a sixth-round draft pick and $11.7 million in dead money.

10. Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive End-Tackle

Team: New York Jets

Year: 2016-17

Contract terms: 5 years, $86 million

Actual cost: $37 million

Return on investment: 28 G, 104 tackles, 8 sacks

Bottom line: After the big guy rolled up 28 1/2 sacks over three seasons, a contract extension made sense in the prime of his career. But at $53 million in guaranteed money?

For someone who had fractured his right fibula in the final game of the previous season? Uh-uh.

The big payday made him selfish and lazy. He was released for $11 million in salary-cap relief.

9. Michael Johnson, Defensive End

Team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Year: 2014

Contract terms: 5 years, $43.8 million

Actual cost: $16 million

Return on investment: 14 G, 27 tackles, 4 sacks

Bottom line: Even though his sack total plummeted from 11 1/2 to 3 1/2 in the 2013 season, general manager Jason Licht was so blinded by athletic potential that he went well above and beyond in his free-agent bid.

The lineman registered four sacks in 14 games (13 starts) with a last-place team, and the organization was just as quick to cut its losses after one season.

8. Percy Harvin, Wide Receiver

Team: Seattle Seahawks

Year: 2013-14

Contract terms: 6 years, $67 million

Actual cost: $19.0 million

Return on investment: 6 G, 23 REC, 150 YDS, 0 TD

Bottom line: Convinced that it had acquired a game-breaker from the Minnesota Vikings in a trade, team management quickly signed the veteran to a lucrative contract extension. They got a spit disturber instead.

First, there was an altercation with wideout Golden Tate during Super Bowl 48 week. (We won’t get into the juicy details here.) Then there was his intense dislike for quarterback Russell Wilson that poisoned team chemistry.

Turned out that the front office gave up first-, third- and sixth-round draft picks for lots of drama and precious little production.

7. Donovan McNabb, Quarterback

Team: Washington Redskins

Year: 2010

Contract terms: 5 years, $78 million

Actual cost: $18.6 million

Return on investment: 13 G, 58.3 CMP%, 3,377 YDS, 14 TD

Bottom line: You want weird? Not long after the 33-year-old quarterback was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles for a pair of draft picks, it was obvious that his career was donzo.

So midway through the season, the has-been was offered a monstrous contract extension? McNabb could do no better than a 5-8 record and sickly 77.1 quarterback ranking when Rex Grossman assumed the position.

The soap opera could have been worse, though. After the season, Mr. Chunky Soup was traded to the Minnesota Vikings for a sixth-round pick, and the Redskins salvaged running back Alfred Morris out of the deal.

6. Michael Vick, Quarterback

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick scrambles against the New Orleans Saints in 2005.

Team: Atlanta Falcons

Years: 2005-06

Contract terms: 9 years, $130 million

Actual cost: $35.1 million

Return on investment: 31 G, 53.9 CMP%, 4,886 YDS, 35 TD

Bottom line: The scatter-armed quarterback put up impressive numbers — as a runner — but his 15-16 record didn’t justify the enormous salary-cap hit. Wait, there’s a lot more.

He became embroiled in a dogfighting scandal for which he was suspended and served 23 months in prison. The organization tried to recoup its losses, but a federal court only threw it, um, a bone.

The veteran was released in 2009 at a $7 million cap hit. Other than that, though, the deal couldn’t have worked out better.

5. Brock Osweiler, Quarterback

Team: Houston Texans

Year: 2016

Contract terms: 4 years, $72 million

Actual cost: $21 million

Return for investment: 15 games, 59.0 CMP%, 2,957 YDS, 15 TD

Bottom line: Couldn’t blame the career backup when he cashed in after a 5-2 record with the Super Bowl-champion Denver Broncos the previous season.

No, the problem was a frantic front office that admittedly didn’t vet him thoroughly enough before it pulled the trigger.

Along with a second-round draft pick, he was dealt to the Cleveland Browns in a salary dump after the season.

4. Jay Cutler, Quarterback

Team: Chicago Bears

Years: 2014-16

Contract terms: 7 years, $126.7 million

Actual cost: $54 million

Return on investment: 34 G, 64.5 CMP%, 8,540 YDS, 53 TD

Bottom line: Don’t point a finger at Gen. Cutler, who wasn’t as bad as his 11-19 record with a defense-challenged team suggests.

Pin the tail on general manager Phil Emery and his co-conspirators, who should have known better than to offer a lengthy contract extension to an erratic 30-old quarterback with an acute personality disorder.

Finally, the cord was cut after the 2016 season — three years too late.

3. Mike Glennon Quarterback

Team: Chicago Bears

Year: 2017

Contract terms: 3 years, $45 million

Actual cost: $18.5 million

Return on investment: 4 G, 66.4 CMP%, 83.3 YDS, 4 TD

Bottom line: So what did general manager Phil Emery do after the Jay Cutler mistake? He double-downed on dumbness.

Even though MikeGlennon had attempted all of 11 passes with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the previous two seasons, he was offered $19 million in guaranteed money. This despite only mild interest around the league, mind you.

The human scarecrow lost the starter job one month into the regular season and was released afterward.

2. Albert Haynesworth, defensive tackle

Team: Washington Redskins

Years: 2009-10

Contract terms: 7 years, $100 million

Actual cost: $32.4 million

Return on investment: 20 G, 53 tackles, 6.5 sacks

Bottom line: "Fat Albert" arrived from Tennessee with some heavy baggage and left with even more.

He clashed with hard-ass head coach Mike Shanahan, flunked a physical exam, was suspended for insubordination and generally acted like "a lousy human being," as teammate Chris Cooley described him.

He didn’t lower the bar for godawful contracts at his side of the ball. He became the bar.

1. Sam Bradford, quarterback

Team: Arizona Cardinals

Year: 2018

Contract terms: 1 year, $20 million with an option for a second year

Actual cost: $15.9 million

Return for investment: 3 G, 62.5 CMP%, 400 YDS, 2 TD

Bottom line: So dumb. Bradford has been paid more for nothing than anyone in history of NFL. That’s an actual tweet from safety Eric Weddle, who crossed paths with the vagabond quarterback for years.

That "Sam the Scam" was able to fleece four teams out of $130 million (more than all but 13 quarterbacks in league history) despite a .416 career win percentage and not be required to wear a ski mask was one of the greatest sports mysteries ever.

His last contract was downright laughable — the Cardinals actually paid $5.3 million for each of three starts (all losses) on a bum left knee before they released him a couple of weeks later. Yeah, so dumb.