Getting paid like a franchise quarterback is one thing. Actually playing like one? Yeah, that part turned out to be a little tricky for these guys.
Big contracts often come with even bigger expectations, and sometimes the results do not match the paycheck. These quarterbacks cashed some serious checks but left fans wondering if the team accountants should have had a bigger say in the front office.
15. Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill had a few flashes of brilliance but never truly lived up to the heavy salary he commanded. He became the poster child for “well, he’s better than what we had before” money.
14. Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford somehow made hundreds of millions despite never taking a team anywhere meaningful. He had a bit of a resurgence in Minnesota — and he may continue to succeed in Seattle — but he’s not the star he was supposed to be.
13. Jimmy Garoppolo
Handsome Jimmy G got paid like a top-tier guy while spending most of his career either handing off the ball or handing out medical updates. The potential was there, but the production rarely showed up to the party.
12. Matt Cassel
Matt Cassel got a massive payday after one good year filling in for Tom Brady, and then immediately proved why backup QBS usually stay backup QBS. It was a masterclass in the “right place, right time” career arc.
11. Derek Carr
Derek Carr consistently flirted with being pretty good without ever actually getting there when it mattered most. His checks kept clearing, but his playoff wins remained on backorder.
10. Jared Goff
Jared Goff got a gigantic contract extension with the Rams and then immediately turned into the human embodiment of a shrug emoji. Detroit seems happier with him, but that price tag still stings.
9. Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins mastered the art of playing just well enough to keep getting paid like a superstar. “You like that?!” became more of a sarcastic slogan than a rallying cry after a while.
8. Carson Wentz
For a few minutes, Carson Wentz looked like the next big thing. Then he started playing like he had entered every game on “expert mode” by accident.
7. Nick Foles
Nick Foles earned folk-hero money after his Super Bowl run, and then spent most of the rest of his career cashing checks and holding clipboards. Lightning definitely did not strike twice.
6. Brock Osweiler
Brock Osweiler somehow convinced the Texans he was a franchise savior after a handful of decent games in Denver. Houston wrote one of the worst checks in NFL history and basically begged Cleveland to take him off their hands a year later.
5. Tony Romo
Tony Romo was incredibly likable and incredibly frustrating all at once. He put up great stats, but when it came time to justify the salary in January, things usually fell apart faster than a dollar store lawn chair.
4. Daniel Jones
The Giants saw one average season and decided Daniel Jones deserved to be paid like a perennial MVP candidate. Shockingly, he immediately regressed to being the same guy everyone was unsure about in the first place, and they let him go.
3. Joe Flacco
Joe Flacco got hot at exactly the right time and turned a magical playoff run into one of the fattest contracts in NFL history. The only thing elite about Flacco afterward was his ability to never feel bad about it.
Read More: 15 Least Athletic NFL Quarterbacks of All Time
2. Russell Wilson
Yes, Russell Wilson was great for many years in Seattle. However, his time in Denver was not great, and he fizzled out in Pittsburgh. Maybe New York will be better? We’ll have to wait and see.
Read More: 10 NFL Players Who Were Briefly the Face of a Franchise
1. Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson scored the biggest fully guaranteed contract in NFL history and then proceeded to play like a guy who forgot how football works. Cleveland mortgaged their future for a QB who has so far looked allergic to expectations.
Read More: 10 Quarterbacks Who Won Big Thanks to Their Defense
