5 NFL players who are overpaid
This offseason, NFL franchises have dished out hundreds of thousands of dollars in new contracts and extensions.
Despite the ongoing pandemic, NFL teams have splashed the cash on players they believe can help win the franchise a Super Bowl this season and beyond.
Like every business (I’m sorry fans, the NFL is a business), there are employees/players who are considered by some to be overpaid for what role they perform in the organization/team.
Here are five NFL players who are overpaid in today's league.
#1 - Kirk Cousins, QB
The Minnesota Vikings QB is famous for his “You like that” outburst while playing for Washington in 2015.
Fast forward to today and there's not a lot to like about Cousins' contract with the Vikings.
In March 2020, Cousins signed a two-year $66 million extension with the Vikings. He is currently the eighth-highest paid quarterback in the NFL.
When you look at his numbers in Minnesota, they seem impressive, he has a 25-21 record with 91 TDs to just 29 Interceptions. But he has only led the Vikings to the playoffs once in his three years with the team.
He has a 1-1 record in the postseason and continues to choke in big games down the stretch. Cousins is paid more than Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Jackson, Matthew Stafford and Tom Brady!
#2 - Byron Jones, CB
Byron Jones has made the news this offseason for all the wrong reasons. The Miami Dolphins cornerback's contract has been brought up for its excessive numbers by his teammate Xavien Howard.
Jones is set to make $14 million this season and the deal he signed last season with the Fins averages out at $16.5 million per year. He is the fifth-highest cornerback in the NFL but has not played anywhere close to what you'd expect looking at his paycheck.
Last season, Jones made just 37 tackles, grabbed two interceptions and one forced fumble. Hardly the stats of one of the highest paid defenders in the NFL.
#3 - Bud Dupree, LB
Former Pittsburgh Steelers star linebacker Bud Dupree has had a great NFL career so far. Dupree signed a five-year $82 million deal with the Tennessee Titans this offseason.
The issue is that Dupree had a down year with the Steelers in 2020 while suffering an ACL injury that cut short his season.
With an average salary of $16.5 million, the Titans are banking on Dupree rediscovering his form. At 28, and coming back from a serious knee injury, this deal looks far too high for a player on the downside of his NFL career.
#4 - Deshaun Watson, QB
Deshaun Watson makes this list not because his on field performances didn’t earn him a lucrative deal but rather because of his availability to play in 2021 and beyond.
The Houston Texans star QB has a dead salary cap hit of $62 million if he was to be cut. Watson’s $156 million four year deal he signed in 2020 averages out to be $39 million per year.
Due to his legal issues, it's unlikely we will see Watson play in an NFL game for the foreseeable future. This makes him a very expensive sideline observer for the Texans.
#5 - Jamal Adams, S
The Seattle Seahawks made Jamal Adams the highest-paid safety in the NFL this week. Adams signed a four-year $70 million deal. The average salary works out at $17.5 million per season.
Now at just 25, Adams is one of the most promising defenders in the league, but the best? Not by a long shot.
The safety is more of a pass rushing, run stopper than a cover defender, which makes his role somewhat limiting.
Yes he can get to the QB but he can’t cover slot receivers and is known to be beaten for big pass plays. The Seahawks star can obviously improve, but this deal seems rich and more due to what the team gave up to trade for him than his on-field play.