Ranked: The 15 most overpaid players in NFL history

NFL contracts continue to rise as the salary cap grows year after year. Even within the highly-paid NFL ecosystem, there are still those players who are getting massively overpaid. From the player’s perspective, this is a dream scenario; for the team involved, not so much. Let’s take a look at the 15 most overpaid players in NFL history! All contract figures via Spotrac.

Michael Vick was an electric player during his prime, only for his off-field legal issues to catch up to him. He was convicted shortly after signing a 10-year, $130-million-dollar deal, with eight years still left on his contract, the Falcons were able to terminate the deal. Upon his return to football, the Eagles signed Vick and gave him an $80 million dollar deal, which was also cut short.

Harvin was the ultimate gadget player during his career, able to take any touch and turn it into a touchdown. Still, the Seahawks’ decision to pay him $64.2 million over 6 years was a huge overpay given his production and injury issues. He did help Seattle win a Super Bowl, so it wasn’t all bad. Still, he was traded for a conditional pick just a year and half after signing his huge contract.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

While the numbers may look a lot smaller, Andre Rison’s contract was as bad as any on this list. In 1995, Rison signed a five-year $17 million contract with the Cleveland Browns, which made him the highest paid wide receiver of all time, per CBS Sports. He played just one year in Cleveland, telling the fans, “Frankly, I'm ready to get the hell out of here,” along the way.

Kenny Golladay was a solid player in Detroit without ever being exceptional. Still, the New York Giants were desperate for wide receiver help in 2021 and offered him $72 million over four seasons, which is an offer too good to turn down. Golladay spent three years in New York, never catching more than 37 passes, per ESPN.

Relative to expectations, this contract could be even higher on our list, but we will give the New York Jets the benefit of the doubt as no one thought Rodgers would be as bad as he was during his tenure in New York. The Jets gave up draft capital to trade for Rodgers and then gave him $112 million over three years, only to win 12 games in the two years he was there.

It’s easy to think back over Carson Wentz’ career and think he was a huge bust. For a time, however, he was playing like one of the better quarterbacks in football, which led to the Eagles signing him to a four-year, $128 million extension in 2019. A playoff concussion and terrible play in 2020 saw the Eagles draft Jalen Hurts and trade Wentz. The rest, as they say, is history.

2019 was a boon year for quarterbacks involved in the Eagles’ Super Bowl LII victory. Nick Foles signed a four-year contract worth $88 million with Jacksonville with the hopes he would help turn the franchise around. Foles struggled, with injuries and poor play, suggesting his Super Bowl run really was lightning in a bottle.

Matt Flynn turned one great performance into $20.5 million. At the end of the 2011 season, Flynn threw for 480 yards and six TDs as the Packers beat the Lions 45-41. The following offseason, the Seahawks, enarmoured by Flynn’s play, paid him over $20 million to be the starter. They then drafted Russell Wilson in the third round, making Flynn surplus to requirements.

The Seattle Seahawks let Russell Wilson move to Denver for two first-round picks, two second-round picks and a fifth-rounder, per CBS Sports. The Broncos immediately gave Wilson a five-year £245 million deal in what will be looked at as one of the worst contracts in sports. Wilson could never capture the magic of his prime, as the Broncos moved on after just two years.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!

Derek Carr is not a good quarterback. He’s not necessarily a bad one either, he’s just fine. So when the Saints offered him $150 million over four seasons, we shook our heads. Carr’s on-field performances have vindicated our concerns. He is heading into the 2025 season with a cap hit of over $50 million.

Nnamdi Asomugha was brought to Philadelphia in the summer of 2011 as the Eagles attempted to build a Super Bowl winning roster. Asomugha was thought of as one of the best corners in football at the time, so his five-year, $60 million contract wasn’t seen as an overpay at the time. That was, until he stepped on the field. He didn’t fit the system and couldn’t work things out, making this an all-time bad signing.

The New York Jets isn’t a well run organization, so it came as no surprise to see Le’Veon Bell get offered a four-year, $52.5 million contract just after sitting out the whole of the 2018 season. Bell had been among the best running backs in the NFL, only for things to fall apart after just one season. Injuries, arguments with the head coach, and a lack of production saw Bell play just 17 times for the Jets.

Kirk Cousins remains the poster boy for getting paid in the NFL. For a quarterback renowned for crumbling in high-pressure moments, teams continue to throw money at him. That includes the Atlanta Falcons just a year ago, who gave Cousins $180 million over four years after he left Minnesota. Atlanta then immediately drafted Michael Penix Jr. who outperformed Cousins, making his contract look even worse… If that was even possible.

After a good start to his career in Tennessee, Albert Haynesworth accepted a seven-year, $100 million deal in the nation’s capital. Unfortunately for Washington, things went horribly wrong, with the defensive tackle struggling on the field and causing issues off it. He lasted just two more years in the league after signing that monster deal.

Deshaun Watson somehow negotiated a five-year, fully guaranteed $230 million contract with the Browns after getting traded away by the Texans. After serving his 11-game suspension following allegations of sexual assault, Watson returned and stunk. He has been among the worst quarterbacks in football since joining the Browns. It’s hard to have any sympathy for either side.

Want to see more like this? Follow us here for daily sports news, profiles and analysis!