The Most Overpaid NFL Player at Every Position

You could probably put together a valid argument stating that every single professional baseball, basketball, hockey and football player in the United States is overpaid. After all, the minimum salary for any four-year NFL veteran is $685,000.

Those guys are playing a game. Surgeons are savin' lives and whatnot, but according to Forbes, they only make an average of $231,000. Football isn't rocket science, but every veteran NFL player makes at least seven times what your average rocket scientist takes home, according to the Houston Chronicle. Why should these over-sized children make more than those in charge of grooming and educating actual children, right? But they do make more. A lot more.

The reality, sadly, is that nobody hands over a two weeks' pay in order to watch doctors, teachers and researchers at work. The free market has treated pro football players well, and you can't embrace the art of supply and demand and pay to watch sports while also dumping on those who benefit while entertaining millions every Sunday. 

So, who among the already-spoiled is overpaid more than the crop? Let's go position by position to put together what will essentially look like an All-Overpaid Team. 

Four notes:

1. All contract information comes via Spotrac, while all stats come courtesy of NFL.com, Pro Football Reference and Pro Football Focus (subscription required). 

2. We generally didn't include players who signed new deals this offseason, unless they were already grossly overpaid beforehand. Have to give it time.

3. We generally avoided giving too much weight to injuries that took place in 2012. If a player with a high salary got hurt, that's not his fault. That, however, still factored in to a small degree. And if the injury history was long enough, it became a major piece of criteria.

4. Please feel free to contribute to the discussion/debate in the comments section.

Quarterback: Philip Rivers

Contract (signed in 2009): Seven years, $98.3 million ($38.2 million guaranteed)

Key stat: Since the start of 2011, the San Diego Chargers quarterback has turned the ball over 47 times in 32 games. 

In terms of average annual salaries, Philip Rivers is the eighth-highest-paid quarterback in football, and his $38.2 million guarantee is the seventh-highest among players at that position. But 13 signal-callers have posted higher passer ratings than him over a two-year period starting in 2011. 

No, he hasn't had a lot of support, but the 31-year-old just doesn't look or feel like an elite quarterback anymore. He's not worth half of the $17.1 million he'll cost the Bolts in 2013.

Honorable mentions

Tony Romo: $17 million per year and $40 million guaranteed for a guy who hasn't led his team to the playoffs since 2009 and has just one postseason victory under his belt?

Joe Flacco: He's never been to a Pro Bowl or posted a passer rating higher than 93.6, yet he's now making $20 million a year.

Running Back: Chris Johnson

Contract (signed in 2011): Six years, $55.3 million ($30 million guaranteed)

Key stat: The Tennessee Titans running back hasn't averaged more than 4.5 yards per carry in a season since 2009.

He signed a deal worth $30 million in guaranteed money in 2011, but Chris Johnson hasn't been the same since that 2,000-yard 2009 season of his. Since then, he's averaged just 4.3 yards per carry. 

He's not coming off a particularly bad season, but he has scored only 10 touchdowns since the start of 2011. Considering that only Adrian Peterson is getting more cash than he is, that's not cool.

Honorable mention

Darren McFadden: He'll make almost as much as Johnson this year, but it's the final year of his rookie contract and he was drafted at a time when top-tier rooks made a lot of money. That doesn't necessarily make his $10 million salary easier to swallow, but the fact that he'll be making a lot less going forward factored into keeping Run DMC in the honorable mention spot.

Wide Receiver: Santonio Holmes

Contract (signed in 2011): Five years, $45 million ($24 million guaranteed)

Key stat: The New York Jets wide receiver hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009.

For a guy making $9 million a year and in possession of a contract that pays him more guaranteed money than all but five other receivers, Santonio Holmes just isn't very reliable.

There was that four-game suspension to start his tenure with the Jets in 2010 and the Lisfranc foot fracture that cost him 75 percent of his 2012 campaign. But in between, he had only 54 catches and 624 yards in a healthy 2011 season. I know the Jets offense has had its problems, but that's unacceptable when you're making that kind of cash.

Honorable mention

Sidney Rice: Only a single 800-plus-yard season under his belt since coming into the league in 2007 and 17 games missed since the start of 2010. That's no good for a guy making $18.5 million guaranteed over the course of a five-year, $41 million contract.

Tight End: Vernon Davis

Contract (signed in 2010): Six years, $42.7 million ($23 million guaranteed) 

Key stat: The San Francisco 49ers tight end has seen his yardage and touchdown totals drop in each of the last two seasons. 

This decision didn't come easy, because Vernon Davis really stepped it up in the playoffs last year for San Francisco after struggling to gain opportunities with Colin Kaepernick at quarterback. He's still a top-of-the-line tight end, but that doesn't change the fact he's overpaid.

Davis has averaged only 670 yards the last two seasons. That's not close to good enough for a guy who makes more guaranteed money than every other tight end in the game. 

Honorable mention

Zach Miller: He has the fifth-highest guarantee and the seventh-highest annual salary at the position, but Miller has failed to catch 40 passes or hit the 400-yard mark in both of his seasons with the Seahawks. 

Offensive Tackle: Jake Long

Contract (signed in 2013): Four years, $34 million ($16 million guaranteed)

Key stat: The new St. Louis Rams left tackle surrendered 12 sacks in 26 games the last two years in Miami.

We're breaking the rules here, because Jake Long's current contract is a brand-new one. But even last season, in the final year of his rookie deal with the Dolphins, Long struggled to stay healthy and had far too many problems on the field when he was able to suit up. 

The former top pick earned $12.8 million but was still graded by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) as the ninth-worst left tackle in the league in 2012. So it was quite surprising to see the Rams give up $8.5 million a year with $16 million guaranteed, especially with injury concerns still lingering. 

Honorable mention

Doug Free: Before he took a pay cut earlier this offseason, he would have been the "winner" here. Instead, he's still an honorable mention at $3.5 million a year. Free is just terrible. 

Guard: Justin Blalock

Contract (signed in 2011): Six years, $38.4 million ($16 million guaranteed)

Key stat: PFF graded him as the third-worst left guard in the NFL in terms of run-blocking ability in 2012.

With an extremely solid, consistent 2010 campaign, Justin Blalock earned a contract with the Atlanta Falcons that contained a guarantee that even now is the sixth-highest among NFL guards. Since then, though, his play has plummeted.

The 29-year-old is a decent pass protector, but he's been terrible in terms of paving the way for the running game in each of the last two seasons, which is why his PFF grades have dropped from 15.1 to 4.0 to minus-0.8. He's been a mediocre guard, but he's been paid like an elite one.

Honorable mention

Carl Nicks: We knew it would be hard for him to live up to his five-year, $47.5 million deal and that $31 million guarantee in his first season with the Buccaneers, but Nicks was real disappointing. Foot and toe problems didn't help.

Center: David Baas

Contract (signed in 2011): Five years, $27.5 million ($11.5 million guaranteed) 

Key stat: After surrendering 24 pressures, he was graded by PFF as the worst pass-blocking center in the NFL last season.

Only four NFL centers make more on average than David Baas does, and only five have higher guarantees, but the 31-year-old has been ordinary at best since signing a big free-agent deal with the New York Giants two years ago. 

Injuries were the excuse in 2011, with Baas missing five games. But he played in all 16 last season and was still a middle-of-the-pack center who lacked versatility. When you're getting money like that, the expectations are much higher. 

Honorable mentions

Scott Wells: He makes even more than Baas, but he's 32 and injuries derailed his 2012 campaign in St. Louis. Even when he was healthy, Wells struggled. 

Ryan Kalil: The highest-paid center in the league was solid in 2011, but he missed the vast majority of the 2012 campaign.

Defensive End: Mario Williams

Contract (signed in 2012): Six years, $96 million ($24.9 million guaranteed)

Key stat: After compiling 26 sacks in 2007 and 2008, the Buffalo Bills defensive end has been held under the 11-sack mark in each of the last four seasons.

It's not as though Mario Williams had a terrible debut season with the Bills, but when you're being paid $16 million a year and only one other NFL defensive end is getting more than $13 million per season, you're expected to cause more havoc than 10.5 sacks and 56 pressures. 

Sixteen defensive players had more sacks than Williams, and nine 4-3 defensive ends had more pressures than him in his first year with the Bills. And that was actually an upgrade, as he'd been held to fewer than 10 sacks in each of the previous three campaigns. He's still only 28, but it's quite disappointing that the former top pick has just 63.5 career sacks in seven seasons.

Honorable mentions

Jared Allen: This only really applies to last year, because Allen's sack total dropped from 22 to 12. Are his best days behind him at the age of 31? He's only under contract for one more year, but he'll make $17 million in 2013. 

Justin Tuck: The man will make $6.2 million in 2013, even though he's been held to five or fewer sacks in three of his last four seasons. 

Defensive Tackle: Jay Ratliff

Contract (signed in 2011): Seven years, $49 million ($17.5 million guaranteed) 

Key stat: His sack total has dropped in each of the last four seasons. But that trend will be halted in 2013, because the Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle had zero in six games in 2012.

I'm sure a lot of people saw this coming when the Cowboys signed Jay Ratliff to such a lucrative long-term contract on the verge of his 30th birthday. Both his productivity and his durability have taken major hits the last two years. 

His body finally cost Ratliff serious time in 2012, as he spent the majority of the season injured. And when he was on the field, his production dipped quite a bit. After he agreed to restructure his contract this year, there's a lot of cash left on the bill for upcoming seasons. Never a good thing. 

Honorable mention

Ahtyba Rubin: Not sure what the Browns were thinking with that four-year, $27.6 million extension in 2011, but Rubin has failed to stand out the last two seasons while making almost $7 million a year. Maybe a move to end will help.

Outsider Linebacker: Lamarr Woodley

Contract (signed in 2011): Six years, $61.5 million ($22.5 million guaranteed) 

Key stat: The pass-rushing linebacker's sack and tackle totals have dropped in each of the last three seasons. 

At 28, LaMarr Woodley should be smack dab in the middle of his prime. But the Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker has seemingly regressed of late. He's the fourth-highest paid linebacker in football, but he had just four sacks in 13 games last year before facing criticism regarding his work ethic.

You can't make over $10 million a year and miss nine games in a two-year span, picking up only 13 total sacks in the process. In order to remove the "overpaid" label in 2013, Woodley has to get back to where he was in 2009, when he had 13.5 sacks and was graded by PFF as the best 3-4 outside linebacker in the game.

Honorable mention

Tamba Hali: Before Clay Matthews trumped him this spring, the 29-year-old was the highest-paid linebacker in the NFL. Yet he had only nine sacks in 2012.

Inside Linebacker: David Harris

Contract (signed in 2011): Four years, $36 million ($29.5 million guaranteed)

Key stat: Only eight inside linebackers missed more tackles than the New York Jet in 2012.

David Harris has a higher guaranteed salary than any inside linebacker in the game, but he's coming off a year in which PFF ranked him 48th among 53 qualifying players at that position. He's bad in coverage and in run defense, has limited pass-rushing ability and misses too many tackles. 

He's only 29, but it feels as though Harris is declining. That's a concern when you consider that he'll cost the Jets $13 million this season. 

Honorable mentions

Paul Posluszny: He's making $7 million a year in Jacksonville, but PFF ranked him only one spot ahead of Harris in the No. 47 spot in 2012.

Cornerback: Brandon Carr

Contract (signed in 2012): Five years, $50.1 million ($25.5 million guaranteed)

Key stat: The Dallas Cowboys cornerback has recorded just 12 takeaways in 80 career games.

Brandon Carr is by no means a bad cornerback. He's the No. 1 guy now in Dallas, though, and the transition from Kansas City wasn't particularly easy. He graded out by PFF as the 56th-best corner of about 113 qualifiers in 2013, which is not exactly what the 'Boys had in mind when they made him the second-highest-paid cornerback in the game last offseason.

Now, only Cortland Finnegan has more guaranteed money coming his way, and only Darrelle Revis and Champ Bailey have higher annual salaries. That's a little ridiculous when you consider that Carr's never been a shutdown top option.

Honorable mentions

Cortland Finnegan: He's making $10 million a year for half a decade, with $27 million guaranteed, and yet he was extremely inconsistent in his first season with the Rams.

Corey Webster: He took a pay cut, saving him from the main honor here, but Webster is still walking around with a $20 million guarantee, despite giving up eight touchdown passes and getting burned time and again in 2012.

Safety: Antrel Rolle

Contract (signed in 2010): Five years, $37 million ($15 million guaranteed)

Key stat: The safety has just five interceptions in 48 games since joining the Giants in 2010.

Considering that he's the fifth-highest-paid safety in the game, Antrel Rolle just isn't consistent or versatile enough to be worth the money. He really struggles in coverage (especially considering he's a former cornerback) and still misses too many tackles. 

In 2011, Rolle was graded by PFF as the second-worst safety in the NFL, with a multitude of injuries in New York's defensive backfield hurting his rep. But even with the secondary holding up better in 2012, the 30-year-old received a subpar PFF grade of minus-2.9.

Honorable mention

Michael Griffin: The safety signed a new contract last year that is paying him almost as much as Rolle, yet Griffin was graded by PFF as the third-worst safety in football in 2012 after being torched for seven touchdowns in coverage and missing a league-high 22 tackles.