Ten Sports Stars Who Are Guaranteed to Be Overpaid Soon
It seems that every single day, there is an athlete who is breaking some record for having the highest salary in his respective sport.
Seriously, just two weeks ago, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson inked a deal that guaranteed him some of the most money of any signal-caller in the NFL, only to see the San Diego Chargers' Philip Rivers surpass Wilson with the new contract he signed.
Since athletes' salaries will continue to skyrocket, I'm giving you 10 sports stars who will absolutely be overpaid—not as if they don't earn it, though.
If you're a friend or family member of any of these guys, be happy that you know him, because you'll probably be reaping the benefits of all that cash.
Honorable Mention: Eli Manning
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He may not have the gaudy individual stats that his older brother Peyton has, but with two Super Bowl rings and three Pro Bowl appearances of his own, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning isn't a slouch, either.
With word coming out that Eli wants to become the highest-paid player in the NFL once his contract runs out after this season, there's a very good chance given his previous success and market he plays in—New York—that will happen.
As his two quarterbacking draft mates from 2004—Rivers and Ben Roethlisberger—have gotten their cold hard cash the past few months, it looks like Manning's next contract will be one that involves a hell of a lot of money.
Anticipated deal: Spring 2016
Le'Veon Bell
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Assuming Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell doesn't royally mess up—he's already suspended for the first two games of the 2015 season for marijuana use—he's in line to be paid quite handsomely.
A second-round pick out of Michigan State in 2013, Bell has compiled nearly 3,500 total yards in his two seasons in the league, and he is being touted as one of the best backs in fantasy football for this year.
An all-purpose back who's built in the same mold as All-Pro LeSean McCoy, Bell has to be salivating at getting the type of money McCoy just got from the Buffalo Bills this offseason, which guaranteed him $26.5 million.
He's not a free-agent until 2017, but, if he has the type of season everyone's expecting Bell to have, he could be cashing out this time next year.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
Justin Upton
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A week removed from his 28th birthday, former top pick Justin Upton has seemed to be a forgotten man among MLB above-average stars.
Maybe that's because he is playing for the San Diego Padres or because he's on his third team since being selected No. 1 overall in 2005, but Upton is someone who can have a big impact on a team.
Hitting 20 or more homers in five of his past seven seasons, he may not be a big run producer—only driving in over 100 RBI in one of his nine MLB seasons—but, given his age and experience, may still be evolving as a player.
He won't command over $20 million a year—unless a team is in a desperate bidding war—but don't be surprised to see him end up with at least $17.5 million per season, giving his nest team an offensive boost.
Anticipated deal: Winter 2015
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Marcell Dareus
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Not quite the defensive dominator that is Ndamukong Suh—who just inked a record-breaking contract with the Miami Dolphins this offseason—the Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Marcell Dareus is still one hell of a football player.
The former No. 3 overall pick by the Bills in 2012, Dareus has helped transform the Buffalo front line into one of the best in the league, earning two-straight Pro Bowl trips and and All-Pro nod in 2014.
With defensive guru Rex Ryan taking over the head coaching post in Buffalo this season, one would think that Dareus is in position to accelerate his progression even more, which will, no doubt, help him in negotiating when he becomes a free agent next offseason.
The behemoth man might not be focused on a new deal quite yet, but that doesn't mean that, once he is, he isn't going to collect a paycheck with lots of digits.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
LeBron James
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As incredible of a basketball player as LeBron James is, for a kid who never even opened a book in college, he's sure as hell business savvy, too.
Don't worry, Cleveland Cavaliers fans, LeBron isn't going anywhere but Cleveland anytime soon, but he will continue to put the pressure on the front office to surround him with impeccable talent that will help him get to the NBA Finals year after year, which he has done in five straight seasons.
Deals to Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2014 and Kevin Love this offseason help ease James' mind, but the best baller on the planet is really just waiting until the new NBA TV contract kicks in, which will up the salary cap and provide players major paydays.
According to Tony Manfred at Business Insider:
"By continuing to sign one-year deals, LeBron is going to make himself a ton of money in the long term. Based on our calculations, he'd make an extra $30 million by signing a maximum contract in the summer of 2016 than he would by signing a max contract now, and he'd make an extra $110 million more by waiting until 2017 to sign a max deal.
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With the league salary cap rising over the next two seasons, you can guarantee that LeBron James will reap the benefits, earning substantial amounts of money thanks to his wise move of playing on one-year contracts these past few seasons.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2017
A.J. Green
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Going for over 1,000 yards receiving in each of his first four seasons in the league and hauling in a total of 35 touchdown catches, there aren't many wide receivers better than A.J. Green of the Cincinnati Bengals.
The former No. 4 overall pick in 2011, Green has dominated the gridiron, making the Pro Bowl each year and commanding defensive attention that few others in the game can.
For all of his talent and production, expect Green to get a heavy pay raise when it's his turn to do so—which will be this time next year when he becomes a free-agent—as the Bengals have already stated that investing in the stud wideout is a top priority.
With big-time deals for Pro Bowl wideouts Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas this offseason, expect for Green to get even more money once he inks a new contract.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
David Price
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It's no secret that the prize of this winter's free-agent class in Major League Baseball is none other than pitcher David Price, who was recently acquired by the Toronto Blue Jays in hopes to shore up their postseason chances.
Turning 30 at the end of this month, Price would have been better off getting an extension of some sorts in the past couple of years, but, seeing how former Detroit Tigers teammate Max Scherzer got a massive $210 million over seven years at the same age last offseason, Price has to like his chances of getting a huge deal.
Already posting another solid season this year, with a history of success—Price did win the AL Cy Young Award in 2012—and the potential to make even more if he carries the Blue Jays to the playoffs, David Price will be a very rich man in a few months.
Anticipated deal: Winter 2015
Julio Jones
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Another wide receiver, another guy who can expect to get big-time dollars, the Atlanta Falcons' Julio Jones has been one of the biggest playmakers since entering the league in 2011, so he'll get paid as such in his next deal.
Eligible to become a free agent after the 2015 season, Jones, like the aforementioned Green, has already said that he won't worry about a new deal until the time is right, going about business as usual until then.
That doesn't mean he will take less money when he is free to sign with whomever he wants to, as his two Pro Bowl selections and 4,330 receiving yards in his first four NFL years have put him in the elite class of wideouts.
Jones is an athletic freak, and, according to Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff via ESPN, the time will be soon that the player gets locked up:
"There is no question that our focus in the future will be on Julio Jones and where we are. I don't want to get into specifics about the timing of that, obviously. But now that the draft is over and we continue to build this football team, we understand that Julio is a very important part of our building and evolving as a championship-type team.
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That has to make Falcons fans really happy to hear.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
Steven Stamkos
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A former No. 1 overall selection, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos might just become the highest-paid player in NHL history once he becomes a free agent next season.
Still just 25 years old, Stamkos has accomplished quite a bit in his already seven seasons in the NHL, winning two Maurice Richard Trophies as the top goal scorer in the league and, more recently, guiding his Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final.
Set to earn $7.5 million in the final year of his contract, Stamkos is one of the best goal scorers on the planet, so any team in the league will break the bank to try to get him, which is why Tampa Bay has already set their eyes on locking him up long term this offseason.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
Andrew Luck
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Over the past couple of decades, there have been plenty of quarterbacks who have become legends.
Dan Marino and Brett Favre owned the '90s, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are wrapping up their dominance in the early 2000s and Wilson and Andrew Luck seem to be taking the reins currently.
With Wilson already inking a new, massive deal with the Seattle Seahawks a few weeks ago, that just means Luck will get his shortly—and there's no doubt that it's going to be record breaking.
Guiding the Indianapolis Colts to the postseason in each of his first three years in the league, Luck has been heralded by Charley Casserly as the best young quarterback in the league in the past 40 years—high praise from a former executive—setting marks that all-timers could only dream of during that time.
Just 25 years old, there's no telling the records—or copious amounts of money—that Andrew Luck will end up with when all is said and done, and the Colts would be smart to get a deal in place sooner rather than later to reward their face of the franchise.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
Kevin Durant
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While I mentioned LeBron earlier and how he'll be a free agent until, or if, he decides to sign a long-term deal to take advantage of the new NBA salary cap, one player who is sure to garner the same amount of attention as James did in 2010 is Kevin Durant.
One of the most talented players in the league, Durant is lethal on the offensive end of the floor, winning four of the past six scoring titles and helping his Oklahoma City Thunder reach the NBA Finals in 2012.
While OKC can offer Durant the most money, there are some who believe that he is obtainable—especially those in his hometown of Washington—as many think that he has reached the pinnacle with his current Thunder squad.
Even after coming back from an injury last year, there are no question marks with Durant's ability, with teams knowing full well that he's a franchise changer should he leave the Thunder and join another organization.
Anticipated deal: Summer 2016
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