Largest Contracts in Professional Sports by Total Value
The biggest contracts in sports are defined by total guaranteed value, average annual value, and length. In North American team sports, the highest-dollar deals have shifted from baseball to basketball and football as salary caps and media rights have grown. The following contracts represent the largest publicly reported agreements in major leagues, based on the latest available data from team announcements, league filings, and financial reports Forbes.
Baseball: Max Scherzer and Long-Term MLB Deals
In Major League Baseball, multi-year contracts exceeding $200 million have become a benchmark for elite pitchers and position players. Max Scherzer signed a three-year, $130 million deal with the New York Mets in late 2022, and later agreed to a one-year, $43.3 million contract with the Texas Rangers for the 2024 season, bringing his cumulative earnings past $250 million in recent seasons MLB.com.
Basketball and Football: Record Deals in the NBA and NFL
In the NBA, supermax contracts for veteran stars routinely exceed $200 million over four or five years, driven by Basketball Related Income and strong local media deals. In the NFL, the largest agreements are structured with heavy signing bonuses and guarantees because of the league's short careers and injury risk. The following list reflects the highest-value contracts reported in each league as of the most recent public filings.
NBA: Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics Supermax
Jayson Tatum signed a five-year, $314 million supermax extension with the Boston Celtics in 2024, making it one of the largest guaranteed deals in NBA history ESPN. The deal is structured with annual raises tied to the league's salary cap and includes full guarantees for injury and performance, reflecting the Celtics' strategy to build a long-term core around their star forward.
NFL: Quarterback Extensions and Guaranteed Money
In the NFL, the largest contracts are measured by guaranteed money and average annual value rather than raw total value, because most deals are voidable or restructured. Dak Prescott signed a four-year, $240 million extension with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, with $160 million guaranteed at signing, setting a record for average annual value at the time NFL.com. Subsequent quarterback deals have surpassed Prescott's total value, but his contract remains a reference point for guaranteed money in the league.
How Contracts Are Structured and Verified
Sports contracts are governed by league salary caps, luxury tax rules, and collective bargaining agreements that limit total payroll and guarantee structures. In the NBA, the Designated Veteran Player Extension allows teams to offer up to 35% of the salary cap to a star, while in the NFL, signing bonuses are fully guaranteed and prorated for cap purposes. MLB uses a luxury tax system that penalizes teams for exceeding payroll thresholds, which influences how front offices structure long-term deals for free agents