Yesterday, Houston Texans defensive lineman, J.J. Watt signed a contract fatter than your Aunt Tammy. It’s a six year, $100M dollar extension. Specifically the deal is for eight years and $108.8M with $51.8M guaranteed. If this were the NBA or MLB, then J.J. would see all of that money. This is the NFL and few things are guaranteed, and $100M ain’t always and often never is, $100M.
I did a little digging found all of the $100M NFL contracts to see how many of these contracts reached $100M or higher.
Brett Favre, Green Bay Packers – signed for S100M over 10 years in 2001. Favre had three years left on his remaining deal so it was really a seven year contract. Favre started his retirement games after the 2007 season, so he never fully played out his contract and only earned $62.5M.
Drew Bledsoe, New England Patriots – signed for S103M over 10 years in 2001. Bledsoe has to have the worst luck in the world. The year he signed his contract, he got hurt and Tom Brady took his job. After that season, he went onto play for the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, so he only played one year on $103M contract, only earning $15M.
Donovan McNabb, Philadelphia Eagles – Signed for $115M over 12 years in 2002. McNabb’s deal was an extension, because he had four years left on his previous contract. He also restructured his contract in 2009. In total, he earned $62M of his $115M contract.
Daunte Culpepper, Minnesota Vikings – Signed for $102M over 10 years in 2003. Culpepper only saw an estimated $25M of his $102M thanks to blown up knee courtesy of Chris Gamble. He had a previous year left on his first contract, the next season he suffered his knee injury and was traded to the Dolphins in ’06 and out of football in ’09.
Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons – Signed for $130M over 10 years in 2005. He only played two years on the deal before he was suspended and released for dog fighting in 2007. Vick earned $39M from the deal, with a large amount of that being his $37M signing bonus.
Carson Palmer, Cincinnati Bengals – Signed for $122.5M over 10 years in 2005. Palmer’s deal was actually an extension on his rookie contract so it was really a six year extension. Palmer retired in the 2011 season because the Bengals would not trade him. Midway through the season he was traded to the Raiders. Palmer earned $74.74M from his deal and might have received all of it had he not retired.
Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers – Signed for $102M over 8 years in 2008. Roethlisberger has earned $72.7M of his deal. He has two seasons left. Right now, the Steelers don’t have a QB of the future and at 32 years old, Big Ben can still play. He may be the first player to ever earn his $100M in a single contract.
Albert Haynesworth, Washington Redskins – Signed for $100M over 7 years in 2009. Big Al was the first player that wasn’t a QB to ever sign for nine figures. He was a head case in Washington and continued to be one in New England. As of 2011, Haynesworth is out of football and only earned $32M of his contract.
Eli Manning, New York Giants – Signed for $106.9M over seven years in 2009. The younger Manning has two seasons left on his deal, so he should see all of his contract. He struggled last season, but I don’t see the Giants releasing him after this season. So far, he’s earned $79.6M.
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles – Signed for $100M over six seasons in 2011. Vick is the only player to ever sign two $100M contracts in NFL history. When you break down his contract it was really a 5-year $80M deal. Vick only had one good season in Philly and only saw $32.5M of his second big contract.
Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona Cardinals – Signed for $128.5M over eight years in 2011. I love Fitz, he’s a great pro but he might not see all of his money. He’s WR not a QB so his body will break down faster. And he’s got four years left on his contract. So far, he’s earned $40.25M
Calvin Johnson, Detroit Lions – Signed for $132M over seven seasons in 2012. The second WR on this list. He signed in 2012 so it’s too soon to tell whether or not he’ll see all of the money. So far, he’s earned $17.25M.
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints – Signed for $100M over five years in 2012. Brees has stood the test of time. He’s one of the top four QBs in the league today. Barring injury, I have no doubt in my mind he’ll see all of his money. So far, he’s earned $40M and if he continues to play at a high level, he might even get another extension.
Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers – Signed for $110M over five seasons in 2013, but the deal starts in 2015.
Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys – Signed for $108M over six seasons in 2013 but the deal starts in 2014.
Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens – Signed for $120.6M over 6 years in 2013. Look what a Super Bowl can do for you. It’s way to soon to tell if Flacco, who’s only 29 will see all of the money, but given history it’s not likely. So far he’s earned $6.8M of his new contract.
Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons – Signed for $103.75M over five seasons in 2013 with the deal starting in 2014.
Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears – Signed for $126.7M over seven years in 2014. Only time will tell if he sees it all.
Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers – Signed for $126M over six years this past June.
So of all these big money contracts, no player has yet to see all of the $100M, but Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger just might. Even though they’ve both earned more than any other player on this list, it’s weird that Tom Brady or Peyton Manning never signed a $100M contract extension.
S/O to Reddit, Spotrac, and Over the Cap.