It’s officially #OverstatedContractValue season.
It happens every year. Agents do new contracts. They text the basic details to a small group of reporters. The reporters engage in a thumb race to X, communicating the numbers as gospel.
Within a day or two, the truth puts its pants on.
This year, it started with Bucs receiver Mike Evans. Two years, $52 million! $35 million guaranteed!
It’s actually, we’re told, a two-year, $41 million deal. The other $11 million comes in the form of incentives and escalators.
The deal pays out $23 million fully guaranteed in 2024. He’s due to make $18 million in 2025. Of that amount, $6 million is fully guaranteed and $6 million is guaranteed for injury.
So it’s a $20.5 million deal, not a $26 million contract. And it has $29 million fully guaranteed at signing.
It’s not bad for a guy with 10 years of NFL wear and tear. But it’s not what they told you it was on Monday.
Get used to it. Accept it for what it is. You’ll get overstated numbers when the deals are leaked. In time, we’ll get you the truth.
