Largest Guaranteed Payouts in Professional Sports
The largest guaranteed contracts in sports are often measured by total value and cash outlays. In the NBA, the largest guaranteed deal in history is the five-year, $282 million extension signed by Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, which includes $215 million fully guaranteed at signing and a $63 million player option for the final season. In the NFL, the largest guaranteed contract is the fully guaranteed five-year, $255 million deal signed by Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, which included a $100 million signing bonus and $160 million guaranteed at signing. In the NHL, the largest guaranteed contract is the eight-year, $104 million extension signed by Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, which carries an average annual value of $13 million and a full no-movement clause. These contracts are widely cited as the worst contracts in sports when measured by total guaranteed money relative to on-field production and team salary cap constraints. For more details on the largest guaranteed deals, see the contract breakdowns reported by Forbes.
In Major League Baseball, the largest guaranteed contract is the 13-year, $360 million deal signed by Shohei Ohtani with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, which includes a $68 million signing bonus and a full opt-out after the 2024 season. In the NFL, the largest fully guaranteed contract in terms of total value is the five-year, $255 million deal signed by Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, which includes a $100 million signing bonus and $160 million guaranteed at signing. In the NBA, the largest guaranteed contract in terms of total value is the five-year, $282 million extension signed by Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, which includes $215 million fully guaranteed at signing and a $63 million player option for the final season. In the NHL, the largest guaranteed contract is the eight-year, $104 million extension signed by Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, which carries an average annual value of $13 million and a full no-movement clause. These contracts are widely cited as the worst contracts in sports when measured by total guaranteed money relative to on-field production and team salary cap constraints. For more details on the largest guaranteed deals, see the contract breakdowns reported by Forbes.
Longest Tenures and Most Expensive Multi-Year Deals
The longest guaranteed tenures in sports often create the worst contracts in sports when performance declines or injuries accumulate. In the NFL, the longest guaranteed deal is the fully guaranteed five-year, $255 million contract signed by Deshaun Watson with the Cleveland Browns in 2022, which includes a $100 million signing bonus and $160 million guaranteed at signing. In the NBA, the longest guaranteed deal is the five-year, $282 million extension signed by Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors in 2021, which includes $215 million fully guaranteed at signing and a $63 million player option for the final season. In the NHL, the longest guaranteed deal is the eight-year, $104 million extension signed by Connor McDavid with the Edmonton Oilers in 2017, which carries an average annual value of $13 million and a full no-movement clause. These long-term deals are often criticized as the worst contracts in sports because they lock teams into large salary obligations for a decade or more, limiting roster flexibility and creating dead cap space if the player underperforms or suffers a career-altering injury. For more details on long-term contract structures, see the analysis published by ESPN.
In Major League