In the world of professional football, fake contract years can do more harm than good. These types of contracts create a false impression that a player is making more money than they actually are, leading to disappointment when the final year approaches and the player is cut before receiving the promised money. The New Orleans Saints and their running back Alvin Kamara are just two examples of this issue.
Kamara’s current contract was structured to increase his new-money average to $15 million by adding a fake final year of $25 million. As he now enters the penultimate year of his contract with a base salary of $10.2 million, negotiations for an extension have stalled, leading Kamara to skip the team’s mandatory minicamp.
One of the main issues with these fake final years is that they complicate future contract negotiations. The large sum of money promised in a fake final year that was never intended to be paid can make it difficult to reach a new agreement with a higher average. The recent contract extension given to Christian McCaffrey of the San Francisco 49ers has only added to the pressure. McCaffrey’s deal increased his new money average significantly, setting a new standard for running back contracts without the need for phony back-end payments.
McCaffrey and Kamara were both drafted in 2017 and initially had similar impacts on their teams. However, McCaffrey received more touches and continued to excel, earning the league’s offensive player of the year award in 2023. In contrast, Kamara’s performance has declined in recent years, with decreased rushing averages and receiving yards. While veteran running backs have seen some financial success recently, there remains a gap between what Kamara desires and what the Saints are willing to pay. This disagreement came to a head when Kamara attended mandatory minicamp and then left abruptly, signaling the growing tension in contract negotiations.
Phony contract years can cause players like Alvin Kamara significant financial loss in their careers as well as damage their reputations within their teams and industry as whole.
It is important for teams and players to understand
