Athletes Who Made a Lot, Then Did Very Little
Being a pro athlete obviously has its perks.
In addition to playing a sport for a living—which most of us would give an appendage for—when successful at it, a team and/or sponsors will happily throw big money toward an athlete in order to reward him or her for their level of play.
Sometimes, the gamble is worth it, while other times it's a little bit regrettable.
There's no telling how someone will react once handed millions of dollars, with factors like motivation, good health and age playing a major part in what a player does after signing on the dotted line.
And while there are bad contracts in sports, these might be the most depressing, as they're the ones that were given to an athlete who did very little while depositing monster checks into their bank accounts.
Chris Johnson
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One of just seven running backs in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark in a single season, Chris Johnson believed that he was the best runner in the league following his insane 2009 season when he joined the esteemed club.
Holding all of the negotiating chips a couple years later, CJ2K demanded to be paid like the top back, too, receiving a four-year, $53.5 million deal from the Tennessee Titans in 2011.
Since he got his big payday, though, Johnson hasn't been the same type of player.
While he did rush for over 1,000 yards in each of the first three years since he got mega-rich, Johnson's impact was minimal, as he was often dancing behind blockers rather than seeing a hole and hitting it with the explosiveness he was capable of.
No longer a top-notch back, at least Johnson got his when he did.
Barry Zito
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After winning the AL Cy Young Award for his 2002 campaign, lefty pitcher Barry Zito became one of the most dominating hurlers in the majors, posting a 78-51 career record in the five seasons following, while making three All-Star Games in that time.
So when Zito became a free-agent prior to the 2007 MLB season, there were team lining up for the then-28-year-old, believing he would be the ace of any staff for years to come.
For that reason, the San Francisco Giants outbid everyone else to acquire Zito, signing him to a seven-year, $126 million deal, which, at the time, was the largest ever given to a pitcher.
It's too bad the guy didn't live up to it, though, as he went just 63-80 with a 4.62 ERA during his tenure in San Fran, with his one shining moment coming during the 2012 World Series run when he posted decent postseason numbers, which resulted in Zito's second championship ring with the team.
Matt Cassel
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A seventh-round draft pick out of Southern Cal in 2005, quarterback Matt Cassel entered the NFL with about zero expectations from teams.
It's not that he didn't believe in his own ability, but because he hadn't even started a football game since high school, when the New England Patriots selected him 230th overall, they probably didn't imagine him starting 15 games three years later.
That's what Cassel did, though, as he went 10-5 during the 2008 season after Tom Brady went down with a knee injury, passing for 21 touchdowns to 11 interceptions, and getting the attention of everyone around the league as a guy who could be a solid starter.
Yet, after signing a six-year, $63 million deal with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2009, Cassel has compiled a starting record of 23-33, which includes one breakout year in which he, once again, won 10 games and earned a Pro Bowl berth in 2011.
Other than that, though, Cassel has been a dud since getting paid the big bucks.
Kobe Bryant
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Don't get me wrong, including Kobe Bryant on this list was painful to do after everything that he has accomplished during his 19-year NBA career.
The Black Mamba is, and always will be, one of the most fiercely competitive athletes ever, demanding more out of himself and his teammates than most of us could ever imagine.
Still, when he agreed to a two-year, $48.5 million deal at the age of 35 in late 2013, Bryant put an extra large spotlight on both himself and the entire franchise, with both left to defend giving such big money to a fading star.
How has Bryant repaid the Lakers? By playing in just 41 games in the past two seasons combined because of injuries.
I love Kobe, but his ego in taking such a large amount of cash at his age has handcuffed the Lakers in so many ways it's laughable.
Bryant may have earned the third-most money of any athlete in 2014, but based off of his production, he should have never even been considered for such a list.
Rick DiPietro
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Unlike a few others on this list, former NHL goalie Rick DiPietro isn't on this list because he received an insanely large deal—it was reasonably priced at $4.5 million per season. It's because the length of his contract was ridiculous.
Capping out at a whopping 15-year agreement when he agreed with the New York Islanders in 2006, the former No. 1 overall pick was one of the biggest busts in NHL history.
The signing was so bad that the Isles relieved themselves as much as they could by releasing DiPietro after he posted a career 130-136-36 record, earning $1.5 million per year until 2029 thanks to a buyout.
DiPietro may have gotten money that any of us would die for, but he never actually earned any of it due to his terrible performances on the ice.
Tiger Woods
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Oh, how the mighty have fallen.
Much like the aforementioned Kobe Bryant, PGA golfer Tiger Woods has found himself in the precarious position of age and injury taking its toll, dropping the superstar to a near-mortal level.
Like Bryant, Woods was ranked in the top 10 of the world's highest-earning athletes in 2014, but, really, should he have been? When looking at the numbers, one would argue there's no way in hell he deserves such coin.
While Woods has been chasing major title No. 15 since his last major win in 2008, he fails to even perform on a consistent level at any tournament he plays in, failing to finish any higher than 17th in any of the seven events he has played in in 2015, which happened twice, and includes two missed cuts and one withdraw because of injury.
Woods is a legend in golf who has had a global impact on the sport, but there's no way in hell he should still be earning the money of a World No. 1—especially since he currently sits at No. 205 in the current world rankings.
Alex Rodriguez
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If someone would have asked a knowledgeable baseball person back in 2007 if the 10-year, $275 million deal that the New York Yankees gave to Alex Rodriguez was a good investment, many of them would have actually believed that it was.
Still just 31 at the time and coming off of his second AL MVP in three years, A-Rod was the hands-down biggest superstar in the sport, posting ridiculous numbers and playing for the most historic baseball franchise.
My how the tables have turned on this deal since, though.
Not only has Rodriguez's production dropped from the catastrophic level he was at prior, but after being suspended for the entire 2014 season due to a PED charge, his entire legacy has been put into question, making this megadeal with the Yanks regrettable, embarrassing and hard to swallow seeing the stats fall so mightily.
Percy Harvin
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There was a time when wide receiver Percy Harvin was considered one of the most dynamic offensive playmakers in the entire NFL.
Believed to be a defensive coordinator's nightmare because of his versatility in playing multiple positions, Harvin came into the league like a firestorm, playing on a Minnesota Vikings team that had Brett Favre at the time, helping Harvin win Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 2009.
That was about as good as it got for the former Florida Gator, though.
Receiving a six-year, $67 million deal from the Seattle Seahawks following a trade from Minnesota, Harvin was supposed to elevate the team's offense even higher, yet failed to stay healthy during his time in the Emerald City and clashed with teammates throughout his tenure.
His one highlight came during the team's Super Bowl win in the 2013 season, when Harvin flashed some of his skills by returning a kickoff for a touchdown to all but solidify the victory.
Other than that moment, though, Harvin hasn't been a guy many teams want to touch with a 10-foot pole because of his struggles the past few seasons.
Josh Hamilton
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I'm not sure anyone can truly blame outfielder Josh Hamilton for jumping ship from the Texas Rangers and joining the AL West rival Los Angeles Angels before the 2013 season, leaving Texas for $125 million over five seasons.
After earning league MVP honors with the Rangers in 2010, J-Ham kept his hot play going for two more years, earning All-Star nods each season and becoming a full-fledged superstar.
However, that star faded once he moved to SoCal, as the Angels gave the guy $25 million a year to get little production in return, as Hamilton battled injuries and inconsistency during his tenure in L.A., relapsing in his substance abuse this past offseason and, eventually, getting traded back to the Rangers earlier this season—while the Angels ate a boatload of money just to have him go away.
Deron Williams
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While the Brooklyn Nets' Deron Williams might have a superstar name because of his past, would anyone honestly believe that the inconsistent point guard actually had the eighth-highest salary in the entire NBA last season?
Pulling in an absurd $19.7 million during the 2014-15 season thanks to his massive five-year, $100 million deal he signed in 2012, D-Will has failed to produce ever since.
Hobbled by a few nagging injuries since he inked that deal, Williams hasn't been in the "best point guard in the league" conversation for a long time, incapable of finding that extra gear to make him elite.
A career can't be judged off of All-Star appearances, yet, for a guy making as much as Williams is, one would think he would be good enough to earn a roster spot more recently than 2012, but that's not the case.
With his scoring numbers decreasing in each of the past three seasons and his impact on the court minimal, there's no way Williams is worth the near-$20 million he continues to earn.
Justin Verlander
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When the Detroit Tigers handed ace Justin Verlander a record extension worth $28 million per season prior to the 2013 season, they probably felt good about their investment in the right-hander.
After all, Verlander was as filthy as anyone in the game, earning four straight All-Star appearances and finishing in the top three of the AL Cy Young Award voting in three of four years, including a win and league MVP award for his 2011 campaign.
Despite all of his success for all of those seasons, since getting that megacontract, Verlander hasn't quite been himself, as he has posted a measly 28-25 record with a 4.05 ERA in the three seasons since the contract was signed.
Once the most-feared pitcher in baseball, it's unknown if Verlander can find his former stuff to make him elite once again.
Albert Haynesworth
12 of 12It's not unheard of to honestly believe that the seven-year, $100 million deal that the Washington Redskins handed former defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth in 2009 is the worst in NFL history.
And it's all because Big Al did absolutely nothing after getting the biggest deal ever for a defensive player in NFL history, which has since been broken.
After enjoying two straight Pro Bowl seasons with the Tennessee Titans in 2007 and 2008, Haynesworth was perceived to be the cream of the free-agent crop, with every team that had cap space salivating at the chance to add him to their defensive line.
Yet, after deciding on the Skins, the player lasted just 20 games in the nation's capital, registering a paltry 6.5 sacks, breaking team resolve by pissing off with teammates and coaches and being a lazy sack.
Bouncing around with a few teams the next couple years afterward and last playing in the league in 2011, he even admitted that he "lost his love of football" after getting all of that money. How convenient.
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