Here's a comparison of the top quarterback contracts, ranked by average annual value:
Peyton Manning, IND: 7 years, $99.2 Million (AAV: $14.17 Million; Signed in 2004)
Carson Palmer, CIN: 9 years, $118.75 Million (AAV: $13.19 Million; Signed in 2005)
Tony Romo, DAL: 6 years, $67.5 Million (AAV: $11.25 Million; Signed in 2007)
Marc Bulger, STL: 6 years, $65 Million (AAV: $10.83 Million; Signed in 2007)
JaMarcus Russell, OAK: 6 years, $61 Million (AAV: $10.17 Million; Signed in 2007)
Tom Brady, NE: 6 years, $60 Million (AAV: $10 Million;Signed in 2005)
Drew Brees, NO: 6 years, $60 Million (AAV: $10 Million; Signed in 2006)
Brett Favre, GB: 10 years, $100 Million (AAV: $10 Million; Signed in 2001)
Vince Young, TEN: 6 years, $58 Million (AAV: $9.67 Million; Signed in 2006)
Donovan McNabb, PHI: 12 years, $115 Million (AAV: $9.58 Million; Signed in 2002)
Chad Pennington, NYJ: 7 years, $64.2 Million (AAV: $9.17 Million; Signed in 2004)
Eli Manning, NYG: 6 years, $54 Million; (AAV: $9 Million; Signed in 2004)
Matt Leinart, ARI: 6 years, $50.8 Million (AAV: $8.47 Million; Signed in 2006)
Philip Rivers, SD: 6 years, $50.5 Million (AAV: $8.42 Million; Signed in 2004)
Alex Smith, SF: 6 years, $49.5 Million (AAV: $8.25 Million; Signed in 2005)
Matt Hasselbeck, SEA: 6 years, $49.4 Million (AAV: $8.23 Million; Signed in 2005)
Matt Schaub, HOU: 6 years, $48 Million (AAV: $8 Million; Signed in 2007)
CORRECTION: Schaub signed in 2007. A simple typo, and my apologies. It's been fixed.)
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Comments
Posted by kameleon_o @ 9:57 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
I thought Matt Schaub just signed his contract this year?? Not in 2005.
Posted by craigw @ 10:14 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Damn, the Patriots got a steal. I don't think that's the only sweet deal on their roster either.I guess modern dynasties are made by lowballing players with the leverage of Superbowl success.
Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 10:18 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Falcons would have held onto Schaub if the Texans were paying him.
Posted by Mr Rogers @ 10:31 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
It's hard to believe that Jerry Jones, who let NFL MVP and reigning NFL leading-rusher Emmitt Smith hold out before extending him, possibly costing the '93 Cowboys a perfect season, would pay Romo more than Brady, McNabb, and several other top-notch QBs.
Cheap Jones let key pieces of great or good teams go- Alvin Harper, Ken Norton Jr, Mark Stepnoski, Kevin Gogan, Larry Allen-, yet he pays top dollar to a guy who's yet to win a playoff game.
Here's how these negotiations should have gone: "Tom Brady makes $10 mil a year, and he's thrown 100 TDs this year. You're making under $10 mil."
After the awful Bills game and two very average games versus New England and Minnesota, it's hard to see why Jerry would give in. If he'd waited after this season, he could have franchised him for 1-yar, $12 mil, saving $30 mil in guaranteed money, and letting Romo have another year to prove himself in the playoffs.
Posted by craigw @ 10:51 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Just because Brady is playing below market value, that doesn't make him a bargaining chip. Brady is the only QB better than Romo that makes less.
JJ was able to apply some of the contract to this year's cap. This was the best move he could make at this point.
The New England game was actually pretty dang good on Tony's part. If the defense could have kept the Pats off the field more, the cowboys probably would have won that one.
Posted by Stevo @ 10:55 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
I agree craigw. I felt we had a damn good shot at that game, and as Calvin Watkins pointed out on that Kosier hold on the 4th down that MB3 converted in the 4th down with the boys down by one score, I think although the pats prolly still woulda won, it would've been by 1 score. But I guess losing by 2 scores wasn't bad either, closer than anyone else got (i refuse to count that last score by them).
Posted by brownmola @ 11:00 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Can't compare salaries from this year to those in the past. The salary cap has been greater than ever and the roster size numbers have not increased, making ALL salaries much higher than 2-3 years ago. Look at Derrick Dockery, Nate Clements, Leonard Davis, Matt Schaub, etc...
Posted by brownmola @ 11:05 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
And, this chart doesn't show guaranteed money, that is the true indicator of salary. If some of these QBs don't perform, they will be cut and not see $30 million of their base salary in the last years of their contracts.
Posted by Purple gem @ 11:07 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Romo just got a lot hotter to me.
Posted by Stan in Wichita Falls @ 11:18 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Mr Rogers, you think JaMarcus Russell, OAK: 6 years, $61 Million (AAV: $10.17 Million; Signed in 2007) makes more sense than signing Romo for $67.5?
Russell had never played in the NFL AT ALL when he signed his contract!
At least Jerry waited for proof that he had a quarterback worth keeping, rather than one he would be stuck with playing (and paying), whether he's any good or not.
Jerry's only been "cheap" when the cap demanded it. Seems he's never been afraid to pay for the diffence-makers.
Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 11:23 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Albert, in the words of the Sopranos I'm just bustin some balls on the 1st mistake I saw you make.
Mr. Rogers, Romo's contract is a bargain. He's making basically 10 million a year. To franchise him would be like 17 million. And if you let him hit free agency there's no telling how many teams would drive up his price with guys like Clements getting 80 million. And if he got the Cowboys to the Superbowl you could have been talking about a 200 million free agent. So quit your cryin!!!
Posted by Lance @ 11:26 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
I agree that you can't compare this year's salaries with previous years. For example, JaMarcus Russell has thrown 425 fewer TD passes than Brett Favre but Russell has a higher average annual value. Come to think of it, Russell and I are tied on the career TD passes list.
Posted by Saint Jimmy @ 11:41 PM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Wichita Stan, you're totally right. Romo isn't overpaid...it's just what the market is for a franchise QB. Is Romo worth 70 million? No, because I don't think anyone is worth that much. But that's what the market decided. Just like an 8 dollar hamburger. It's not worth it but that's the price you gotta pay to get one at a restaurant.
Posted by Gabe @ 12:05 AM Tue, Oct 30, 2007
Off of that list, Matt "Sore Loser" Leinart and Pennington are the most overpaid QBs... Of course, paying Russell all that dough before he ever threw a pass in an actual game is really stupid, but that's the going rate for a promising QB. That's the market, folks, and you know what, if the Raiders wouldn't have paid him that, somebody else would have. Same thing with Tony, there are probably 20 teams that would pay him $68 mil in a minute to have him for six years. I'm just glad it finally happened, and now they can go on and win a Superbowl!
Posted by JR @ 10:03 AM Tue, Oct 30, 2007
When is the NFL ever going to wise up and start capping these rookie deals so the players who have proven themselves in this league can get what they deserve? Where is the NFLPA in this?
Posted by Steven @ 10:10 AM Tue, Oct 30, 2007
Really the only deal that we can compare this to is Bulgers. Which one of those two would you take right now Bulger or Romo? They are making basically the same money so who do you choose. Don't know about the rest of you guys but I choose Romo in less than a heartbeat and its not even close. In 2 years this deal will look like Bradys deal. A bargain.