We have all seen it lately; some major-sports league teams are awarding relatively large contracts. Some numbers such as 200 million and 30 million guaranteed are floating loosely around the sports world as the contract continues to evolve to new heights. Some of the numbers are unheard of and essentially it seems as if someone is leap frogging the highest paid player sooner in time rather than later. But are the players who are receiving these large contracts deserving of it? Let’s see, a contract is awarded based on a player’s skill and sample size, showing dedication and strong work ethic while achieving success in their craft. In the NFL, I think of Brady and Rodgers and in the NBA, I think of LeBron and Durant. Yet, there are players who receive as much as these coveted superstars, or sometimes even more. Fancy contracts have become a trend to fit with status in the NFL. It all started with Matt Stafford in the NFL becoming the highest paid player, and then a line formed behind him, and he is standing 5^th or 6^th in that line today. Stephen Curry is an MVP and champion in the NBA, so he deserves a high contract. Not all contracts are justified in my opinion, whether it is in the NBA or NFL. Sometimes a high contract is offered simply to lure that free agent away from other teams or rivals.

I wanted to talk about some contracts that I saw rewarding and some that left me scratching my head and needing an explanation. All high contracts are not necessarily unjustifiable. There are several players that I believe earned their contract or should earn a max contract. I will start with Stephen Curry, a driving force and an accomplished shooter in NBA history. He has been a focal point in the Warriors championship runs since 2015, racking up league MVP, 3 titles, and a 73-win season in that span. He is an ambitious player and a large reason why the Warriors are so good. So, when he was awarded a 200-million-dollar contract, he deserves it and earned it.

Another example is Matt Ryan. He is a consistent, stable quarterback. Though that Super Bowl blemish is on his tab, racking up league MVP, and being reliable earns him the right to receive a 30 million guaranteed contract. He is a franchise QB with an arsenal of talent around him to go chase that coveted ring once again. Here are some players deserving of max contracts as well; for one, Aaron Rodgers has been the staple of the Packers franchise since Favre retired. He is their best player by a landslide and responsible for a championship, MVP honors, playoff streaks. At one point, he single handedly carried the Packers to the NFC title game in 2016. This is a player dedicated to his craft and achieving excellence and should easily be the favorite to be the highest paid QB in the NFL alongside Tom Brady.

Other players in the NBA include Chris Paul and Kawhi Leonard. Chris Paul was a key acquisition in the Rockets past offseason and though injured at times during the season, largely contributed to the Rockets 65-win season and #1 seed. He still showed he can be a prolific scorer, showing grit by beating the Warriors twice in the WCF and torching the Jazz in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals to end the series. Kawhi Leonard also has proved his value to the Spurs. Without him, they have struggled this past season, and when playing he is one of the best two-way players in the league, showing the capability to score and play defense at a high level as well as contributing to a championship.

Now, I wanted to talk about some questionable contracts in my opinion that left me wondering, why? First, it was with Joakim Noah and the Knicks. 4 years and 72 million for a player with increasing age and coming off an injury? That was a risky move for the Knicks, who that summer, were in win now mode. This turned out to be a disaster with Noah being suspended, injured and plummeting down the depth chart as the signing aged. This was a head scratching contract from the Knicks and was not deserved. Essentially, the Knicks did not get anything out of Noah, but only problems, including the famous argument with Coach Hornacek this past season. This only left the Knicks in a predicament, struggling to find trade partners for this disgruntled center.

Moving on to the famous Brock Osweiler debacle in Houston for the 2016 NFL season. Coming off a Super Bowl win, and stepping in wonderfully for an injured Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler seem destined to lead his own franchise in the Broncos after Manning retired. But for one of the reasons I alluded to early in this article, the Texans offered him a ridiculous contract which he could not refuse. This lead the nation and the Texans themselves to see the real Osweiler. Another 4 year 72 million deal forced to be cut short, but this time due to different reasons than Noah: on the field issues. Osweiler instead was holding a fringe-contender back with costly mistakes and ineffective QB play. This goes to show that a small sample size may be inefficient in determining effectiveness, and the Texans learned this the hard way. Inevitably, Osweiler was thrown into a loop, being traded to the Browns in the middle of his contract, and dumping this atrocious contract on them. He landed on the Broncos in 2017 before being released again. Brock Osweiler has proved to be a floating QB, not a franchise QB.

Speaking of franchise QB, the S.F. 49ers offered Jimmy Garroppolo a 5 year- 137.5 million -dollar contract, though this a contract that remains to be seen in effectiveness. Jimmy G. has proved his talent and prowess through 7 starts, but whether this contract is justified will be found out this upcoming season. With a small sample size, and not enough TD passes, this contract is a bit head scratching to me, but hopefully I will be proved wrong. Some other mentions include Yu Darvish with a 126- million -dollar contract to the Cubs after struggling with the Dodgers the previous season in the World Series. Also, Jay Cutler signing a 7 year 126 million contract with the Bears in 2014 only to go to Miami and then potentially retire within 4 years. This goes to show that large contracts are no guarantee of large plays.