Donovan McNabb's Contract Not as Rich as it Seems

by FanHouse Staff

Filed under: Redskins

When Donovan McNabb's extension with the Redskins was announced, jaws dropped at the first reported numbers -- five years, $78 million, $40 million guaranteed. But as always with NFL contracts, the devil is in the details of the fine print, and in this case the fine print reveals that the deal isn't nearly as sweet for McNabb as it seemed on first impression.

The only real guarantee is the $3.5 million signing bonus they're paying him in 2010. After that, the team has an option bonus for $10 million in 2011. If they decide to pay it, it'll trigger a $2.5 million salary for that year. So while McNabb can potentially earn up to $13.5 million in bonuses, the only guaranteed money the Redskins have committed to pay is the $3.5 million.

As for the total value of the deal, the only way it could reach $78 million is if McNabb is active for every game over the length of the five-year deal. Given his age, injury history and recent performance, it's a near certainty McNabb will fail to reach that mark.

 

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