Introducing the Football Business Hall of Fame

[ad_1]

Next month’s annual induction of new members to the Professional Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, will be a celebration of the NFL players who have truly excelled on the field. Now in this space we will induct the inaugural members of the Business of Football Hall of Fame, a celebration of NFL players who have truly excelled. off the field.

For those who follow me on social networks, you know my periodic references to players who stand out in the world of football. Today we officially recognize some of them.

A Few Notes: This column only deals with earnings from NFL teams. Marketing and approval revenue is not part of the equation for this induction. Additionally, there are obviously players who have won a lot more money than some of the players below – both Manning brothers come to mind – but their payouts are not out of the ordinary for their level of play. talent and achievement. For the players below, their off-court success far exceeded their on-court success, or they did something else of note to maximize their earnings or stand out.

Whether by good fortune and / or good negotiation, these 12 have succeeded. I present to you the inaugural class of my Business of Football Hall of Fame.

David E. Klutho / Sports Illustrated. Illustration by Bryce Wood.

Sam Bradford (career earnings: $ 130 million in nine seasons)

Bradford may be the easiest choice of all. Indeed, there could be a wing of Sam Bradford in the Business of Football Hall of Fame.

Bradford entered the NFL at the perfect time, the first overall pick last season (2010) before the NFL and NFLPA agreed to dramatically cut incomes for players selected at the top of the draft. Bradford’s rookie contract earnings with the Rams were $ 78 million, nearly $ 50 million more than the contract awarded to this year’s first pick Trevor Lawrence. Bradford was not only the highest paid rookie of all time, but he also went on to become one of the highest paid players in NFL history before he took a picture.

Despite injury-filled seasons with the Rams, Bradford was able to capitalize on a friendly contract with the Eagles after being traded there, a contract that included an $ 11million signing bonus that the Eagles would end up eating. before trading it with the Vikings. Bradford even got $ 15 million at the end of his Cardinals career for starting just three games, while also serving as a placeholder for Josh Rosen.

Bradford’s remarkable ability to capitalize on every opportunity makes him the face of this Football Business Hall of Fame.

Chase Daniel (career earnings $ 38.9 million in 12+ seasons)

Daniel has built a solid reputation as a valuable addition to a hall of quarterback in a Hall of Fame career in the football industry. He cashed nearly $ 39 million in 12 seasons while making five departures, an incredible record of around $ 8 million per startup that may never be broken. Daniel now continues to play his unique and valuable role (especially for him), as a savvy backup quarterback, now tutoring Justin Herbert with the Chargers.

He threw 261 total assists for the Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, Bears and Lions.

Ryan Fitzpatrick (career earnings: $ 82.1 million in 17+ seasons)

Fitzpatrick is, in layman’s terms, a Business of Football survivor. Whenever he’s apparently signed on as a replacement for a young quarterback, he’s kind of caught lightning in a bottle and made the team rethink that proposition, while also positioning themselves for another opportunity to departure elsewhere. He has earnings from nine different NFL teams and is now the alleged new starting quarterback for the Washington football team, where he could be the Week 1 starter for a different fifth team in the past eight. seasons. Fitzpatrick is a football business wonder.

Kirk Cousins (career earnings: $ 161.7 million in 10+ seasons)

The cousins reaped fabulous financial rewards because the Washington football team only wanted to “date” not “marry” her. The team didn’t offer him a serious contract extension until they applied back-to-back franchise labels in 2016 and 2017. Cousins was one of the few productive quarterbacks in history to reach the hallowed ground of the free agency and capitalized on that status with the first fully guaranteed veteran contract in NFL history, an $ 84 million deal with the Vikings. And in 2020, using the leverage of the final year of that deal coupled with the Vikings’ cap issues, Cousins cashed in again. Cousins will likely retire as one of the best earners of all time, with many other successful quarterbacks ranking below him in career earnings.

Alex Smith (career earnings: $ 189.7 million in 16 seasons)

The first overall pick in the 2005 draft was awarded a $ 49.5 million rookie contract and, despite mixed results on the field, was then able to secure the starting level for the Chiefs and the Washington football team. . Smith’s late-career earnings, coupled with his pre-CBA rookie deal, now place him 10th all-time in career earnings. He is ahead of his contemporaries like Super Bowl MVP Joe Flacco and undrafted Tony Romo.

Nick Foles (career earnings: $ 78.4 million in 10+ seasons)

Foles took advantage of two separate stints as the Eagles replacement became a starter, the latter of which culminated in a Super Bowl victory, in elite-level quarterback contracts with the Rams and Jaguars. As an Eagle, his performance certainly matched his pay level. As a non-eagle, however, he has only started and won seven games in four years, which makes him a marvel of football business compared to his game.

Wing Bust

JaMarcus Russell (career earnings: $ 39.4 million in three seasons)

Russell, more than any other player in NFL history, can be blamed for the owners and players negotiating the current CBA rookie pay system at the top of the draft. This contract, more than any other, embarrasses 1) owners who paid elite quarterback money for rookie busts, and 2) veteran players who saw untested rookies earn far more than they do. Russell was the No.1 pick in 2007, started 25 games and threw 18 touchdown passes. He lasted for three seasons in the NFL, but somehow stole almost $ 40 million from the Raiders. Masterful work in the business of football.

Brock Osweiler (career earnings $ 41.4 million in seven seasons)

Osweiler, like Cousins above, is the star child of the power of free will. He flashed in the final year of his rookie deal with the Broncos to sort of get $ 37 million guaranteed by the Texans. Houston realized his mistake a year after the deal began and prepared a capital project to send this albatross out of a contract to the Browns, which Osweiler never played down. Osweiler ended his career with seven starts and over $ 41 million in career earnings, certainly Business of Football Hall of Fame numbers.

Bob Rosato / YES

Non-quarters

Larry Fitzgerald (career earnings of $ 180.8 million in 17 seasons)

Fitzgerald is the highest-paying non-quarter in NFL history, and on the offensive side of the ball, it’s not even close. Fitzgerald, represented by the late and great agent Eugene Parker, signed not one, not two, but three different wide receiver contracts to establish the market! His career earnings have reached levels never before seen by a skill-level player, and his ability to repeatedly peak in the market for his position might never be matched. He has yet to decide if he will continue to raise the bar for an 18th season.

Ndamukong Suh (career earnings: $ 165 million in 11+ seasons)

Suh’s $ 9 million guaranteed by the Buccaneers this year puts him under $ 10,000 of Julius Peppers’ record for highest-earning defensive player in NFL history, and an additional $ 1 million in incentives could give him the record by the end of 2021. This will be Suh’s 12th season; Peppers played 17. Drafted second to Bradford in 2010, Suh pocketed $ 64 million on his rookie contract before leveraging more than $ 60 million guaranteed by the Dolphins in free agency. He followed those two massive long-term deals with a one-year streak of deals totaling over $ 40 million. Suh may one day be in the Hall of Fame, but he is now inducted into the Football Business Hall of Fame for his ability to maximize his income at every stage of his career.

Darrelle Revis (career earnings: $ 124.2 million in 11 seasons)

The name Revis has become synonymous with the football business. He consistently and strategically leveraged his value, even though he was on a rookie contract with years remaining. Revis stayed away from the team until his contract was settled, creating angst for the front office which took place nationally on Hard knocks. He then used the power of free agency to cash twice, first with the Buccaneers – who released him after just a year – then the Patriots. Revis earned $ 28 million over those two years, while retaining its independent agency status, only to cash in with the Jets again $ 39 million in guarantees ahead of its 30-year season (the Jets paid Revis approximately $ 96 million in total). Revis, more than the vast majority of NFL players, really understood the leverage he had due to his abilities and used it strategically to really maximize his earnings.

Trumaine Johnson (career earnings: $ 68.6 million in nine+ seasons)

Johnson is the Kirk Cousins of defensive players. He played his rookie deal with the Rams and turned into consecutive franchise labels for over $ 30 million. Then he hit free agency, where he contested for $ 34 million guaranteed by the Jets. Unsurprisingly, his performance deteriorated. Johnson was an incredible opportunist in maximizing his income, which earned him our last spot among the inaugural inductees of the Business of Football Hall of Fame.

[ad_2]

Source link