Signing free agents to a huge contract is a critical aspect of building a successful NFL team… and at times, there are calculated risks that need to be made.
Unfortunately for us fans, every team swings and misses on at least one player and they get stuck paying far too steep of a price for a guy whose production simply doesn’t match his contract.
So, without further ado, let’s dive into Spotrac and take a look at every NFL team’s worst contract heading into the 2024 season.
Which player for each NFL team has the worst contract right now?
Arizona Cardinals: Budda Baker, Safety
While his leadership and playmaking abilities are invaluable—not to mention that he undoubtedly has one of the best “football names” in the game today—the financial strain limits the team’s flexibility in addressing other critical areas.
Can’t sink $14 mil into an aging safety that failed to record a single pass deflection in 2023.
Atlanta Falcons: Jake Matthews, LT
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The former sixth overall pick in the draft has been somewhat inconsistent throughout his career, but did manage to cash in on a big deal back in 2022 that raised some eyebrows even then. The 32-year old is the Atlanta Falcons second biggest cap hit behind legendary bag-getter, Kirk Cousins, and he’s causing the exes to feel a pinch, as they have been unable to address other issues on their roster.
Baltimore Ravens: Marcus Williams, FS
Marcus Williams’ five-year, $70 million deal with the Ravens seemed promising initially—and to be fair, he is still relatively young… However, injuries and inconsistent play have led Ravens fans to see his $14 million annual salary as a burden.
Luckily for Baltimore, they do have potential out after this season, but they do not want to waste years of Lamar Jackson’s prime with cap woes.
Buffalo Bills: Von Miller, EDGE
Von Miller’s six-year, $120 million contract with the Bills has proven problematic and is quickly looking like one of the worst active deals in the NFL. Despite his Hall of Fame credentials, his production and availability have dipped far below the level that would warrant such a deal.
Carolina Panthers: Taylor Moton, OT
Taylor Moton is far and away the highest paid offensive linemen in the trenches for Carolina. It makes sense to try and protect Bryce Young, as he needs stability to evolve and progress as a player… but there are serious questions as to whether Moton deserves that kind of NFL contract.
Especially considering where the Panthers are at in their rebuild.
Also Read: Brandon Aiyuk’s Insane Contract Demands Have Been Revealed, And NFL Fans Are Laughing In His Face
Chicago Bears: Keenan Allen, WR
When healthy, Keenan Allen is one of the most consistent wideouts in the game… No questions asked!
But the key phrase there is… when healthy.
That has been a big struggle for the aging wideout.
The swing makes sense for the Bears, but this massive price tag for a vet with health issues could backfire in a big way.
Cincinnati Bengals: Sheldon Rankins, DT
Former 12th overall pick, Sheldon Rankins, is now 30 and playing on a two-year $24 million deal that he will likely not deliver on.
The Bengals were looking for a reliable and consistent performer with that investment, and while he put up a nice sack total in Houston last year, which resulted in the investment… I’m not sure they’ll get their money’s worth, as Cinci runs a vastly different scheme.
Cleveland Browns: Deshaun Watson, QB
Well, this is an easy one. Deshaun Watson’s fully guaranteed contract for $230 million is a massive financial commitment that the Cleveland Browns will never be able to justify. It was a bad decision PR-wise, and Waston has been terrible on the field.
Yikes.
Dallas Cowboys: Dak Prescott, QB
Dak Prescott has put the Dallas Cowboys in the ultimate quarterback purgatory. He’s great, and the team has been great… But they can’t seem to get over the hump come playoff time, and his massive NFL contract is part of the reason why—as it makes it hard for Dallas to secure all of the complementary pieces they’d need to succeed when the chips are down in the postseason.
Denver Broncos: Garett Bolles, LT
Garett Bolles’ five-year, $68 million contract has become problematic for the Denver Broncos. Despite a standout season in 2020, Bolles has been inconsistent and clearly bitten by the penalty and injury bug.
Detroit Lions: Jared Goff, QB
Jared Goff has been way better than expected down in Motor City… and in the grand scheme of the absurd quarterback market, his deal makes sense…
However, the 30-year-old is never going to deliver enough value on the field to justify taking up 10.65% of the team’s cap.
Green Bay Packers: Preston Smith, OLB
The Packers needed a consistent pass-rusher… So, I understand the line of thinking with the contract they resigned Smith to, but it is simply not panning out. The 31-year-old represents a $14 million dollar cap hit in 2024 and we aren’t confident that he’ll be able to deliver an ROI on that.
Houston Texans: Joe Mixon, RB
Running back contracts are always dubious, and let’s just say we think there is a reason the Bengals were willing to part ways with their star back.
In 2023, Mixon rushed for only 700 yards and 5 touchdowns while missing 6 games due to injuries… But the Texans have committed $16 million in guaranteed money to him. Hard to see that panning out well.
Indianapolis Colts: Jonathan Taylor, RB
Speaking of running back contracts, the Jonathan Taylor contract in Indy definitely raised some eyebrows around the NFL.
He signed a three-year $42 million dollar extension with over $26 million guaranteed. Too bad he can never stay on the field. The Colts would have been wise to address one of their other, more pressing, roster needs.
Jacksonville Jaguars: Christian Kirk, WR
Back in 2022, Kirk signed a four-year $72 million contract with the Jags, and he’s looked good when healthy; he missed double-digit games last year. With what they invested in him, the Jags need Kirk to stay on the gridiron!
Kansas City Chiefs: Justin Reid, S
I suppose the Chiefs can’t put all their money into Patrick Mahomes and that high-powered offense…
Justin Reid is a great player, and he’s only 27, but the positional value isn’t there to warrant him taking up 5.58% of the cap.
Las Vegas Raiders: Davante Adams, WR
In 2023, Adams posted 900 receiving yards and six touchdowns, far below his previous standards. Crazy how that coincided with him taking a $140 million dollar deal to live in Las Vegas!
Los Angeles Chargers: Khalil Mack, OLB
Khalil Mack has been one of the NFL’s best defensive players in his generation, no doubt, but his three-year, $63.9 million contract with the Chargers is proving costly. In 2023, Mack recorded only seven sacks and 35 tackles and didn’t live up to the billing.
Los Angeles Rams: Tyler Higbee, TE
Tyler Higbee is a serviceable tight end, but because Matthew Stafford likes him, we make the mistake of talking about him like he’s one of the top guys in the game—which we aren’t buying! Not for his price tag, at least!
Miami Dolphins: Tyreek Hill, WR
People in and around the league were excited about the Bradley Chubb acquisition for the Dolphins, who were in need of reinforcements for Tua… And I get it; when you have a chance to bring in a talent like Hill, you have to do it. But a wide receiver eating up 12.26% of your cap makes it extremely challenging to build a balanced roster—and the Dolphins are, unfortunately, seeing their chickens come home to roost in that regard now!
Minnesota Vikings: Harrison Smith, FS
The Minnesota Vikings have to be pumped that they are at the end of the road with veteran NFL safety, Harrison Smith, who they signed to a four-year, $64 million dollar contract back in 2021.
He has had one heck of a career, no questions there… But to allocate that much money to a safety passed the age of 30 is a tough look!
Especially when you look at what’s happened with his production… I mean, he didn’t even snag an interception for the first time in nearly a decade—and he often looked a step behind in coverage.
New England Patriots: Davon Godchaux, DT
Davon Godchaux’s two-year, $20.8 million contract with the New England Patriots has turned out to be quite the head-scratcher. In 2023, Godchaux managed only 62 tackles and not a single sack.
Granted, he spends a fair chunk of his time on the interior of that line… but still! Kraft had to be looking for more bang for his buck out of Godchaux.
New Orleans Saints: Alvin Kamara, RB
In his prime, Alvin Kamara was the epitome of versatility and explosiveness—and now that narrative has shifted to what a heavy financial load for the New Orleans Saints with his five-year, $75 million contract.
Oh, the joys of running back contracts!
In 2023, Kamara rushed for just under 700 yards and five touchdowns, with injuries limiting him to 12 games. What was all the more concerning is he just didn’t look like the same guy out there who was shredding defenses since he broke into the league in 2017.
New York Giants: Daniel Jones, QB
Daniel Jones’ four-year, $160 million contract has been the talk of the Big Apple since he signed it… It was one of those deals that everyone kind of knew the Giants had to take a chance on, but man, has it become a mess.
The Giants bet big on Jones, but his inconsistency and turnover issues have made it hard for fans to see him as the franchise savior. Think about it… Things got so bad at one point during 2023 that they had to turn to the one and only Tommy DeVito to start under center for them.
This is going to be a make it or break it year for Jones and the Giants… but I wouldn’t recommend holding your breath. It seems next to impossible for him to live up to that contract.
New York Jets: Haason Reddick, OLB
Haason Reddick is in the final year of his three-year, $45 million contract with the New York Jets after getting acquired from Philly—and the talented NFL edge rusher has turned into a bit of a headache already.
In 2023, Reddick was impressive for the Eagles tallying 11 sacks, hence the Jets excitement to bring him into town… But since joining Gang Green he has put himself in the crosshairs of the New York media almost immediately by skipping OTAs and mandatory minicamp—as he is already demanding a new deal.
Hard to believe that the Jets didn’t think this one all the way through… Well—I don’t know—I guess it is the Jets after all!
Philadelphia Eagles: Lane Johnson, RT
Let’s talk about Lane Johnson. This guy has been the backbone of the Eagles’ O-line for years, no doubt about it.
But here’s the kicker: he’s now 34 years old, and that four-year, $80+ million dollar contract, which translates to a whopping $20+ million per year, isn’t looking so good for this NFL player.
Now, don’t get me wrong, Lane’s toughness is legendary, but that kind of cap hit is a heavy anchor with the way that his performance has declined… Which, I imagine is a tough pill to swallow when you’re trying to shore up other key positions for another Super Bowl run like the Eagles are.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Cam Heyward, DT
Cam Heyward has been the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line—and really that organization for some time now. He has been with the team since they took him at the end of the first round in the 2011 NFL Draft and he is in many ways inextricable from the Steelers Black and Yellow.
Heyward is unfortunately now getting up there in age—he’ll play this season at 35—and he missed six games last season, marking the first time since 2016 that he had missed that many.
Coming off that downtrodden year, he represents an 8.77% cap hit—behind only T.J. Watt and just ahead of superstar defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick.
It will be next to impossible for the veteran NFL defensive tackle to bring enough value to justify his contract, even when you factor in sentimentality and leadership!
San Francisco 49ers: Javon Hargrave, DT
It is tough to feed everyone when you have a roster as deep and as talented as the San Francisco 49ers… At some point, there are going to be choices that have to be made—and we aren’t confident that giving a $21 million dollar per deal to Javon Hargrave was the right one.
He is 31 and plays one of the most physically demanding positions in the game at defensive tackle. This one looks like it could easily bite San Fran on the backside.
Seattle Seahawks: Leonard Williams, DE
Despite his reputation as a dominant defensive end, Williams managed only 5.5 sacks in 2023, which he split between New York and Seattle. His $43+ million in guaranteed money is looking difficult to justify given his declining production—especially with Seattle looking like it is trending toward an inevitable rebuild.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Vita Vea, DT
When healthy, Vita Vea is electric to watch… And he was a huge part of the Bucs Super Bowl run a couple of years back, but he’s really struggled to live up to the NFL contract that he got coming off that Lombardi Trophy.
Tennessee Titans: DeAndre Hopkins, WR
Deandre Hopkins had a nice first season in Tennessee, posting 75 catches for 1057 yards and seven touchdowns. Not exactly his peak numbers from the mid 2010s, but a solid renaissance.
Still, 7+% of the cap is tough for a 32-year-old receiver.
Washington Commanders: Bobby Wagner, ILB
When a legend like Bobby Wagner signs with the Commanders—it is usually a good signal that he is, well, past his prime.
Wagner recorded only 85 tackles and two sacks in 2023 for the Seahawks, a stark contrast to his peak years… Yet Washington gave the 34-year-old a deal with just under $6 mil guaranteed for this season—during which they will be in the thick of a rebuild? Something isn’t adding up.
Also Read: The Worst NFL Contract At Every Position In The League Right Now (2024)
