All articles tagged with #signing bonus
Seattle cornerback Devon Witherspoon signed a six-year contract (via a four-year extension) worth about $158.3 million, averaging roughly $33 million per year, with a $26 million signing bonus and $101.3 million in injury guarantees at signing. The first two years are fully guaranteed, while the 3rd and 4th years vest after the 2028 and 2029 Super Bowls, with escalating base salaries and per-game roster bonuses through 2031.
Fernando Mendoza, the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft and the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, signed a four-year rookie contract with the Las Vegas Raiders worth $57.27 million, including a $38.1 million signing bonus and a team option for a fifth season; the deal is aligned with NFL rookie-scale terms, with other details negotiable. Mendoza is expected to start the 2026 season in a backup role behind veteran Kirk Cousins.
The four top quarterbacks from the 2026 NFL Draft — including No. 1 pick Fernando Mendoza — remain unsigned as rookies report to camps. Mendoza’s side is pushing for a lump-sum signing bonus, a departure from the Raiders’ traditional installment payments, prompting a leverage-driven standoff that mirrors the broader complexity of rookie contracts. Beck later signed his rookie deal after the story’s initial publication, while Simpson and Allar remain unsigned as the rest of the class weighs terms like guarantees and offset language.
No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky signed with the Chicago White Sox for a $10.4 million bonus, setting a new MLB record for a draft signing bonus but coming in below the slot value of about $11.35 million. The UCLA star hit 21 home runs with a .320/.452/.636 line as a 2026 junior and earns high marks for hit and power, with solid defense; Chicago views him as a long‑term piece behind shortstop Colson Montgomery after passing on Grady Emerson.
The Chicago White Sox signed No. 1 overall pick Roch Cholowsky, a 21-year-old UCLA shortstop, to a $10.35 million signing bonus (roughly $1 million under-slot); he's praised as a polished defender with big power potential and a solid hit tool, likely becoming a cornerstone for Chicago's young core despite limited stolen-base upside.
Roch Cholowsky, the No. 1 overall pick, signed a record $10.35 million bonus with the Chicago White Sox, about $1 million under the $11.35 million slot value, enabling the team to spend the savings on other picks. The UCLA shortstop hit .320/.453/.636 with 21 homers this spring and is expected to join Chicago soon.
The Green Bay Packers signed Christian Watson to a four-year, $110.5 million extension with a $31 million signing bonus, tying him to the club through the 2030 season as the team reshapes its receiving corps with Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden while losing Romeo Doubs. Watson, a big-play threat who has averaged 17.0 yards per catch in his first four seasons, carries health risk due to recurring injuries but could be a game-changing asset if he stays healthy. The deal comes amid about $28.5 million in cap space, signaling a high-upside investment in a revamped offense around Watson and his teammates, including Tucker Kraft returning from ACL rehab.
The Los Angeles Rams have agreed to a five-year extension with defensive end Myles Garrett (2026–2030, with options to 2038), including a $35.7 million signing bonus and a 2026 minimum compensation of about $37 million; while remaining guarantees are still being finalized, the deal solidifies Garrett's place in L.A. after the team's pursuit of him.
Makai Lemon, the No. 20 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, signed a four-year, roughly $20.8 million fully guaranteed rookie contract with the Philadelphia Eagles, including an $11.5 million signing bonus. The USC receiver was selected after Philly traded up over the Steelers; he posted 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. The Eagles have added Hollywood Brown and Dontayvion Wicks this offseason, with a potential A.J. Brown trade after June 1.
Trent Williams and the San Francisco 49ers agreed to a two-year, $50 million contract, including $37 million guaranteed and a $22 million signing bonus, keeping the five-time All-Pro left tackle in San Francisco amid prior cap-talk, with the arrangement potentially classified as an extension reaching about $82 million over three years depending on how it's counted.
The Detroit Lions required center Frank Ragnow to repay a portion of his signing bonus after retirement; Lions president Rod Wood says this is a longstanding precedent dating back to Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and with Ragnow’s $6 million signing bonus and two years left on his contract at retirement, about $3 million was owed, a sum tied to the team recovering money paid in advance for services not rendered.
United Airlines and its flight attendants' union reached a tentative labor agreement that includes immediate raises, a top pay of $100 per hour, pay for boarding and disruption times, and a $740 million signing bonus; if ratified, it would make United the last major U.S. carrier to secure a cabin-crew deal post-pandemic, following a previously rejected offer that included a 26% raise.
Seattle exercised fifth-year options on Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, then reached a record extension with JSN that makes him the NFL’s highest-paid WR and Seahawks’ top earner. The deal features a $35M fully guaranteed signing bonus, a $30M 2027 option bonus, a $10M 2029 option bonus, fully guaranteed base salaries through 2029, guarantees on 2028–2029 salaries, escalating base salaries through 2031, a 2032 void year, and workout/roster bonuses that drive cap hits through 2031.
Mike Evans’s deal with the San Francisco 49ers amounts to a $42.5 million base over 2026–2028, starting with a $12 million signing bonus and guaranteed structures, plus workout and per-game bonuses; it includes $12.5 million and $10.95 million option bonuses and could reach about $60.4 million with incentives, with Evans reportedly prioritizing the 49ers (and tax considerations) over higher-paying offers elsewhere.
Detroit signed Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million deal with a $20 million signing bonus, an opt-out after year two, and some deferred money, reuniting him with manager A.J. Hinch to form a formidable 1-2 at the top of Detroit’s rotation behind Tarik Skubal; the move signals a win-now approach and could influence Skubal’s arbitration outcome and future trade discussions.