By: Jacob Cullum
With the news of Cleveland Browns QB Deshaun Watson being out for the remainder of the season due to a fracture in his shoulder, his 5-year $230 million dollar contract is beginning to look a backfire from the front office. Though Watson has played average to above-average when on the field, his injuries and off-field issues have made his tremendous contract look like a mistake in hindsight. Truer words have never been spoken: “hindsight is 20/20”. Today, in the month of giving, we will look at the 5 worst quarterback contracts in NFL history.
5) 2004: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons – 10-years/ $130 million
Let’s not be foolish and act like Vick wasn’t deserving of a (at the time) massive contract that would anchor him in Atlanta for 10 years. No one ever thought that his shocking development in 2007 pleading guilty to felony charges for conducting dog-fighting matches would be the demise of his career. Through the first three years of his contract, Vick threw for 49 Touchdowns and 38 interceptions while picking up 2000+ rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. In 2007, Vick’s career with the Falcons abruptly ended due to his off-field issues. Returning once again in 2009, Vick played out his career in Philadelphia and as a backup for the New York Jets before hanging it up and retiring as a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2015. His contract remains a generational blunder for the Atlanta Falcons.
Embed from Getty Images4) 2023: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos – 5 years/ $245 million
Though Wilson has had an explosive start to the 2023 season, it is still going to take a lot to alleviate the turmoil of last season. Wilson, who won the 2014 Super Bowl, has not found any playoff success in Denver. In fact, he has not even played in the playoffs since being in Seattle. In 2022, Wilson passed for only 16 touchdowns as opposed to 11 interceptions. Denver ended up going 5-12 to begin the Russ era. The Broncos currently sit at 4-5 and are looking stronger than last season. Wilson has also played much better, and he limited his turnovers while already throwing for more touchdowns (18) than all of last year. Perhaps he can make his way off this list, but for now he has not proven he is worth $245 million.
3) 2022: Deshaun Watson, Cleveland Browns – 5 years/ $230 million
Deshaun Watson’s injury news that broke this morning is his reasoning for being on this last. Watson has dealt with injuries for all the 2023 season and has not proven even close to his price tag. His explosiveness is still there occasionally, but it seems he has lost a bit of the magic he had in Houston. With Watson being out for the remainder of the year, his stats are pedestrian at best. One year into his massive contract, Watson’s health has kept him off the field and his play when on the field has not been as advertised.
2) 2016: Brock Osweiler, Houston Texans – 4 years/ $72 million
After playing well in replacement of Peyton Manning for Denver in 2015, the 6’7 quarterback showed his abilities before serving as the backup for Peyton’s final game in Super Bowl 50. Following this, Houston jumped the gun and inked a 4 year/ $72 million dollar contract in the blink of an eye. Just like that, Osweiler went from a spot-backup in Denver to a full-time starter in Houston. Sadly, this is where the dismay begins. Osweiler was abysmal in Houston throwing for more interceptions (16) than touchdowns (15) with a completion percentage of 59%. Osweiler was eventually traded to Cleveland and was released in 2017. Funnily enough, Brock made a second appearance in Denver where he was below-average. By 2019, Osweiler had retired from the NFL completely.
1) 2023: Daniel Jones, New York Giants – 4 years/ $160 million
Perhaps a bit harsh at the current moment, Daniel Jones still has time to prove he is worth the price tag. However, his season being over is not helping his case whatsoever. The Charlotte native is still only 26 years old, but his stats in New York are hit-and-miss. His rookie year was outstanding with a career-high 26 total touchdowns. However, Jones has only had one 20+ total touchdown season since 2019. Though he was efficient last year, Jones only threw for 15 touchdowns in 16 games started while adding 7 scored on the ground. Maybe this isn’t the worst statistical season ever, but does it warrant such an enormous contract? His mobile style of play is not doing him any favors towards keeping him healthy. This may be a longshot, but I really believe this contract will be laughed at even more following the next 2-3 seasons, hence my ranking at #1.
