5 Most Overpaid QB’s of All-Time
NFL | February 18, 2021
All NFL fans know that the Quarterback is the most important position on the field. It makes plenty of sense why teams invest boatloads of cash into QB’s! However, there are tons of instances where General Managers simply overpay for a Quarterback. Here are the 5 most overpaid QB’s of All-Time.
1. Matt Flynn
Flynn was drafted in the 7th round by the Packers in 2008 coming out of LSU. Flynn was mostly a backup but got a few starts in when Aaron Rodgers was hurt. Flynn whipped up on the poor Lions on the last game of the year in 2012 by tossing 6 touchdown passes.
The 6-2 230 pounder parlayed that success into a very rich contract with the Seattle Seahawks in 2012. Flynn signed a 3 year deal worth 20.5 MILLION dollars (Heck, not bad for a career Backup)! Ultimately, Russell Wilson won the starting job during the preseason. The Seahawks traded Flynn to the Oakland Raiders before the 2013 season started, but he left Seattle a very wealthy man!
2. JaMarcus Russell
We had to mention one of the all-time #1 draft pick busts here. Poor Al Davis really swung hard and missed badly. Russell held out all of training camp after being drafted, but ended up signing an insane 6-year contract worth 68 million bucks!
Russell only started 25 games in his brief NFL career and posted a 7-18 overall record as a starting QB! The Mobile, Alabama, native threw 18 touchdowns and 23 picks during his 3 year stint with the Raiders.
3. Matt Leinart
Leinart lit the college football world on fire while at USC and won a Heisman Trophy for the Trojans! However, the lefty found the NFL to be much more challenging than cream puff defenses he faced in the PAC 12.
The 6-5 225 pounder was the last player to sign from the 2006 NFL Draft class. He inked a hefy 6-year deal worth 51 million with the Arizona Cardinals. Leinart’s time in the NFL only lasted 6 seasons and he only started 18 games. His record as a starter was 8-10 while throwing 15 touchdowns and 21 interceptions.
4. Joey Harrington
You have to feel a little bit sorry for Joey Harrington! After all, he was drafted #3 overall in the 2002 NFL Draft to the dumpster fire known as the Detroit Lions (sorry Lions fans). Don’t cry too many tears for Joey though. The Lions signed Harrington to a 6-year / 37 million dollar contract making him a very wealthy man.
Although he had little success in Detroit, Harrington was fortunate enough to be overpaid a 2nd time by the Dolphins! The Fish signed him to a 3 year deal worth nearly 21 million in 2006. It is refreshing to see Joey putting that money to good use though. Harrington started a nonprofit foundation to support young people in their educational and athletic pursuits.
5. Sam Bradford
It is a little difficult to put the 2008 Heisman Trophy Winner from Oklahoma on this overpaid list. However, we simply cannot ignore the ridiculous rookie contract that Bradford got after being selected #1 in the 2010 NFL Draft. The Rams signed him to a 6-year deal worth 78 million dollars which is the highest ever for a rookie!
Bradford did have some NFL success by throwing for 103 touchdowns and only 61 picks in his pro career. However, he did get an insane amount of coin to only post a career record of 34-48 as a starter!
Tags: NFL Draft
