NFL All-Overpaid team: Zay Flowers, Deshaun Watson headline players with worst contracts originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NFL is all about value.
As a salary-capped league, front offices only have so much flexibility to work with each season. And while that salary cap has skyrocketed over the years, now at $301.2 million per team for the 2026 season, markets have been dictated by positional value. Superstar quarterbacks and pass rushers come at a premium, running backs have been seeing somewhat of a financial resurgence after years of struggles, while special teams players are usually given whatever is left over.
Like any sports league, however, there are some players who don't provide their franchises the kind of value their significant contracts would indicate, especially compared to their positional peers. Whether due to injuries, poor performance or off-the-field issues, an inflated contract can handicap an NFL team, and there are plenty of them across the league.
Here's a look at The Sporting News' All-Overpaid team entering the 2026 NFL season.
#sporting #players #value
The NFL is all about value.
As a salary-capped league, front offices only have so much flexibility to work with each season. And while that salary cap has skyrocketed over the years, now at $301.2 million per team for the 2026 season, markets have been dictated by positional value. Superstar quarterbacks and pass rushers come at a premium, running backs have been seeing somewhat of a financial resurgence after years of struggles, while special teams players are usually given whatever is left over.
Like any sports league, however, there are some players who don't provide their franchises the kind of value their significant contracts would indicate, especially compared to their positional peers. Whether due to injuries, poor performance or off-the-field issues, an inflated contract can handicap an NFL team, and there are plenty of them across the league.
Here's a look at The Sporting News' All-Overpaid team entering the 2026 NFL season.
#sporting #players #value
20 days ago
