The value of NFL contracts has skyrocketed as the salary cap continues to increase every year. Even with team’s having far more money to spend on building their rosters, however, there are still plenty of players who are overpaid relative to their performance.
Today, we take a look at the 10 least team-friendly contracts in the league, which includes a few players who are coming off dismal Week 1 performances.
Who Has the Worst Contracts in the NFL?
1) Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns
The Browns’ 2022 Deshaun Watson acquisition will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history, and the quarterback’s contract remains a total impediment. Cleveland gave up three first-round picks to land Watson while he was facing 24 allegations of sexual assault before signing him to a fully guaranteed $230 million extension.
No other NFL team has followed suit with a fully guaranteed contract for their quarterback, while Watson has been abysmal as Cleveland’s starter. Injuries and a suspension have limited him to 12 games over two seasons. Watson’s 42.9 QBR would’ve ranked 24th league-wide in 2023 if he’d posted enough attempts to qualify.
2) Daniel Jones, New York Giants
The Giants’ decision to sign Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million extension in 2023 looked like a mistake at the time and continues to hinder the NFC East franchise. Jones missed most of last year with various injuries (including a torn ACL) and wasn’t effective when available.
New York tried and failed to acquire a rookie quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft, but rumors have suggested that new Giants QB2 Drew Lock could compete for the club’s starting job. Big Blue will almost certainly release Jones next offseason unless he’s a surprise Pro Bowler this year.
3) Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons
Even before his dismal debut with the Atlanta Falcons, Kirk Cousins would have landed on his list. Now, however, there are much greater concerns about Cousins coming off his torn Achilles, as he lacked any mobility in Sunday’s loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Even if you agree with the Falcons’ decision to sign Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract ($90 million guaranteed), it was totally incongruent with Atlanta choosing QB Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.
4) James Bradberry, Philadelphia Eagles
Although the Eagles almost let James Bradberry walk after his 2022 second-team All-Pro season, they eventually re-signed the veteran corner on a three-year, $38 million pact. The deal quickly turned into a disaster.
Bradberry allowed 2.9 more yards per target and 2.5 more yards per completion than he did the previous season, and he gave up 11 touchdowns as the nearest defender in coverage — the most in the NFL.
The Eagles would have parted ways with Bradberry before he landed on injured reserve, but no team was interested in trading for him, and the dead cap charges made releasing him cost prohibitive.
5) Miles Sanders, Carolina Panthers
Miles Sanders earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2022 while playing behind the Eagles’ NFL-best offensive line. Hoping the veteran RB could build on that production, the Panthers handed Sanders a four-year, $25.4 million contract with $13 million fully guaranteed.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sanders couldn’t live up to his end of the bargain in Carolina. He quickly lost his starting job to fellow RB Chuba Hubbard and received just 14 total carries over the final month of the season. When second-round pick RB Jonathon Brooks returns from injury, Sanders will be pushed even further down the Panthers’ depth chart.
6) Allen Lazard, New York Jets
Allen Lazard may have been part of the Jets’ cost for acquiring Aaron Rodgers. The former Packers receiver (and Rodgers’ friend) is an excellent blocker, but he’d never posted a breakout receiving season before landing an $11 AAV from New York in 2023. Given a chance as Green Bay’s No. 1 target after the Packers traded Davante Adams, Lazard managed fewer than 800 yards on 100 targets.
7) Von Miller, Buffalo Bills
The Bills went outside their free-agent comfort zone to ink Von Miller to a six-year, $120 million contract in 2022. Although he posted eight sacks for Buffalo in his debut campaign, Miller subsequently tore his ACL, missed the first four games of the 2023 campaign, and then struggled upon his return, managing zero sacks and three QB hits.
Despite Miller’s forgettable season, the Bills hung onto the veteran pass rusher. They made him accept a pay cut, but Miller’s $15+ million cap figure will still represent an overpay if the 35-year-old is anonymous again this season.
8) Ronnie Stanley, Baltimore Ravens
Ronnie Stanley agreed to a pay cut this offseason but is still set to count for $17+ million on Baltimore’s books. While that’s not a terrible rate for a starting-caliber left tackle, Stanley’s knee issues have repeatedly kept him off the field. Stanley appeared in 13 games in 2023 but played 100% of the Ravens’ offensive snaps just four times, routinely splitting time with fellow offensive lineman Patrick Mekari.
9) Alvin Kamara, New Orleans Saints
Alvin Kamara turned 29 in July and is coming off a career-low scrimmage-yard campaign in which he ranked fourth worst in rushing yards over expectation per attempt. He’s still a weapon in the passing game (75 receptions on 86 targets), but Kamara’s receiving success rate dipped to just 45.3% in 2023.
The five-time Pro Bowler is under contract for the next two years, although he’ll never earn his gargantuan 2025 base salary ($22.4 million), which was inserted solely to drive up Kamara’s on-paper AAV.
10) Calvin Ridley, Tennessee Titans
Still reeling from trading A.J. Brown to the Eagles in 2022, the Titans were willing to do just about anything to sign Calvin Ridley this offseason. The WR market exploded over the past few months, making Ridley’s four-year, $92 million seem a bit more palatable. However, to make this contract worthwhile, Ridley needs to match his 2020 output — 90-1,374-9 with a second-team All-Pro berth.