NFL contracts are intricate documents that can go on for a number of pages.
But unlike MLB contracts, for example, the total value reflected in the deal is not fully guaranteed.
Football players can earn up to that amount if they satisfy certain milestones that correspond to certain incentives.
Some players like Deshaun Watson are part of the lucky few after he signed a fully-guaranteed $230 million deal with the Cleveland Browns.
Likewise, rookie contracts of first-round draftees are also fully guaranteed.
However, most of the players receive only a fraction of the money reported by sports media.
Therefore, there is a chance that Patrick Mahomes will not earn the entire $450 million he signed up for.
As a consolation, the signing bonus for each NFL contract is fully guaranteed.
Of course, you have to factor in taxes and NFL players pay more of which than the average American.
They even have to file tax returns in multiple states depending on where they play.
It’s a travesty that they don’t get the full value of their deals even if they are playing the most brutal professional sport.
That’s why there have been calls for standardizing fully guaranteed NFL contracts.
For which, ESPN’s Dan Graziano offered a path to make it happen.
Also, if the NFL player population at large wants to ever get to fully guaranteed contracts ala MLB and NBA players, it probably has to start with the quarterbacks. https://t.co/gR0uLq65N0
— Dan Graziano (@DanGrazianoESPN) July 21, 2022
QBs Lead The Way
Graziano tweeted, “Also, if the NFL player population at large wants to ever get to fully guaranteed contracts ala MLB and NBA players, it probably has to start with the quarterbacks.”
Given that they play the most important position in the league, they can put enough pressure on owners to institutionalize fully guaranteed contracts.
If they demand to get everything that is promised to them, it will create a ripple effect that will translate to the other positions.
Likewise, quarterbacks can perform the bold move of holding out to make guaranteed contracts happen.
NEXT: Bengals Finally Reveal Their New White Helmets