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NFL money can be fleeting for the players, considering the prevalence of long-term injury in the sport. Athletes never know when their last snap might be and for that same reason, guaranteed contracts can be hard to come by.
For example, former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill just signed a $120 million extension with the Miami Dolphins, but only $52.535 million of that deal is guaranteed according to Over the Cap. That’s less than 45% of the final salary.
Yes, $52.5 million is still a fortune that could easily last a lifetime but would the smarter financial decision have been to stay in Kansas City? Hall of Fame wide receiver Michael Irvin certainly thinks so, laying out his doubts during a recent phone interview with Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post.
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Irvin Marvels at Short-Sighted Decision
“You left Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes — I don’t know if I could’ve ever left Troy Aikman,” Irvin told the Post. “I don’t think I could’ve done that.”
The conversation was centered around Hill and fellow superstar WR Davante Adams, and the reasoning from the Dallas Cowboys legend was simple. It’s short-sighted to voluntarily leave a former MVP like Mahomes or Rodgers for a lesser quarterback like Derek Carr or even worse, an unproven starter like Tua Tagovailoa.
After all, this is a production-driven league and Hill still has to earn the other 55-plus percent of his contract.
“They had some great quarterbacks,” Irvin reasoned. “I’m interested in seeing how it works out with Tua and Carr, but it’s surely not Mahomes and Rodgers.”
Continuing: “If you make that move, do you shorten the time you’re making $30 million a year because all of a sudden, you’re not making the same impact? This is a meritocracy. If you’re not putting up the numbers to support that $30 million, they’ll come for you, just like Dallas did with Amari Cooper and his $20 million. It would’ve been hard for me to make a business decision on leaving those quarterbacks.”
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Who’s Right — Irvin or Hill?
Now, Hill’s argument could be that you never know what tomorrow will bring in the NFL. In theory, the dynamic playmaker could get injured in 2022 — with Miami or KC — so this decision gives him and Adams the most possible security short-term, while also allowing both to play in an area they call home.
That’s a fact, but Irvin is talking career earnings here. Let’s say Hill stayed with the Chiefs and signed a four-year extension worth $25 million per year. With Mahomes, he might come away with every cent of that $100 million contract.
Assuming good health, there’s still a much smaller chance he does the same with Tagovailoa and the Dolphins.
“You can still go live there in your house in the offseason, but I’m not leaving those quarterbacks,” Irvin voiced candidly. “Let’s see how this plays out. You’re making $30 million and you can have houses in two places. I think the most important thing is taking care of what’s on the football field.”
The bulk of Hill’s guaranteed salary comes in 2023, with over $26 million in the bank that year. If the production isn’t there, he’ll become a cut candidate in 2024 and beyond.
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