Largest Athlete Contracts by Total Value
The largest athlete contract in history by total value is the 10-year, $700 million deal signed by Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers in December 2023, which includes a $700 million fully guaranteed salary and deferred payments starting in 2034. The contract is structured to avoid luxury tax complications and includes a no-trade clause, making it the most lucrative in North American sports history. Ohtani's deal surpassed the previous record held by Lionel Messi, whose move to Inter Miami in 2023 was reported to be worth up to $675 million over 2.5 years, with a significant portion tied to equity and marketing rights, as detailed by Forbes. The contract also includes a $680 million signing bonus, which is the largest in sports history.
In the NBA, the largest contract is the 5-year, $282 million supermax extension signed by Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, which is the richest deal in league history by average annual value. The deal is fully guaranteed and includes a no-trade clause, making Curry the highest-paid player in the league for the duration of the contract. In the NFL, the largest contract by total value is the 5-year, $275 million deal signed by Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, which is fully guaranteed and includes a $130 million signing bonus. In the NHL, the largest contract is the 8-year, $92 million deal signed by Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, which remains the richest in league history by total value.
Structure and Financial Impact of Mega Contracts
Mega contracts like Ohtani's are structured with deferred payments to manage team salary cap space and luxury tax implications, with the Dodgers deferring $68 million per year from 2034 to 2043, which reduces the immediate luxury tax hit. The contract is fully guaranteed, meaning Ohtani will receive the full $700 million regardless of performance or injury, which is a key feature of modern supermax deals. The financial impact on the Dodgers includes a projected luxury tax bill of over $300 million over the life of the contract, which is the highest in MLB history. The deal also includes a $70 million signing bonus, which is the largest in sports history, and is structured to avoid the competitive balance tax thresholds for the first 10 years.
The structure of these contracts has shifted the economics of professional sports, with teams now using deferred payments and equity stakes to manage cap space while still signing elite talent. The NBA's soft cap and luxury tax system allows for larger contracts like Curry's, while the NFL's hard cap forces teams to manage cap space more aggressively, as seen in Watson's deal. The NHL's salary cap system has led to longer-term deals like McDavid's, which is the longest in league history. The financial impact of these contracts is significant, with the Dodgers projected to pay over $1 billion in total payroll over the next decade, including Ohtani's contract, which is the highest in MLB history.
Comparison Across Leagues and Sports
In terms of average annual value, Ohtani's contract is the largest in MLB history at $70 million per year, surpassing the previous record held by Mookie Betts, who signed a 12-year, $365 million deal with the Dodgers in 2020. In the NBA, Curry's contract has an average annual value of $56.4 million, which is the highest in league history. In the NFL, Watson's contract has an average annual value of $55 million, which is the highest in league history. In the NHL, McDavid's contract has an average annual value