Worst $100 Million Contracts in Sports

Bengals, Andy Dalton agree to $115 million extension.

Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton Agree to $115 Million Extension - On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the football world by signing quarterback Andy Dalton to a six-year, $115 million contract extension. The fourth-year quarterback has led the Bengals to a 30-18 record and three straight trips to the playoffs, although he has yet to earn a post-season victory. Upon hearing the news Monday, ESPN NY radio went quarterback-by-quarterback and rated more than a dozen QBs better than Dalton. At 26, Dalton can either make the Bengals organization look brilliant or make them regret the extension. As long as Dalton's extension doesn't pan out like any of the following dudes. Take a look at other recent bad sports contracts.   (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

1 / 11

Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton Agree to $115 Million Extension - On Monday, the Cincinnati Bengals shocked the football world by signing quarterback Andy Dalton to a six-year, $115 million contract extension. The fourth-year quarterback has led the Bengals to a 30-18 record and three straight trips to the playoffs, although he has yet to earn a post-season victory. Upon hearing the news Monday, ESPN NY radio went quarterback-by-quarterback and rated more than a dozen QBs better than Dalton. At 26, Dalton can either make the Bengals organization look brilliant or make them regret the extension. As long as Dalton's extension doesn't pan out like any of the following dudes. Take a look at other recent bad sports contracts.   (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Allan Houston - Two years removed from helping lead the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Allan Houston was rewarded by the organization in the form of a six-year, $100 million extension. The deal started off well with the sharpshooter averaging just over 20 points per game in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, but then, Houston...we have a problem. And the Knicks had a bigger problem, as Houston's knees went bad and he was only able to play in a combined 70 games the following two seasons before having to abruptly retire in 2005. What's worse is the Knicks had to keep honoring his contract, paying him upwards of $20 million in each of 2006 and 2007. Nice guy, but his name still makes Knicks fans cringe.(Photo: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport via Getty Images)

2 / 11

Allan Houston - Two years removed from helping lead the New York Knicks to the NBA Finals, Allan Houston was rewarded by the organization in the form of a six-year, $100 million extension. The deal started off well with the sharpshooter averaging just over 20 points per game in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons, but then, Houston...we have a problem. And the Knicks had a bigger problem, as Houston's knees went bad and he was only able to play in a combined 70 games the following two seasons before having to abruptly retire in 2005. What's worse is the Knicks had to keep honoring his contract, paying him upwards of $20 million in each of 2006 and 2007. Nice guy, but his name still makes Knicks fans cringe.(Photo: Ezra O. Shaw /Allsport via Getty Images)

Albert Haynesworth - The worst free-agent signing in NFL history? Quite possibly. After Albert Haynesworth was named to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2008, the Washington Redskins signed the defensive tackle to a mammoth seven-year, $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed in 2009. From the beginning of his Redskins tenure, however, Haynesworth was nothing but a big problem, coming to camp in poor shape and later claiming to be ill. He only wound up playing in 2009 and 2010. What a bust! (Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images) 

3 / 11

Albert Haynesworth - The worst free-agent signing in NFL history? Quite possibly. After Albert Haynesworth was named to the Pro Bowl in 2007 and 2008, the Washington Redskins signed the defensive tackle to a mammoth seven-year, $100 million contract with $41 million guaranteed in 2009. From the beginning of his Redskins tenure, however, Haynesworth was nothing but a big problem, coming to camp in poor shape and later claiming to be ill. He only wound up playing in 2009 and 2010. What a bust! (Photo: Greg Fiume/Getty Images) 

Mike Hampton's $123 Million Deal With the Colorado Rockies - Capitalizing on the deal that Kevin Brown inked with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998, Mike Hampton signed an eight-year, $123 million contract with the Colorado Rockies in 2000. Hampton went 14-13 with a bloated 5.41 ERA in 2001 and imploded with a 7-15 mark and 6.15 ERA the following season. Everything was a struggle thereafter. A big baseball contract gone wrong. Way wrong.(Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

4 / 11

Mike Hampton - Let's keep it funky — Mike Hampton isn't worth $100 million with $100 million in his pockets. Yet, the Colorado Rockies rolled the dice and signed the pitcher to an eight-year, $121 million deal in 2000. The southpaw pitcher never delivered, mustering just a 14-13 record in 2001 and a dismal 7-15 mark with a bloated 6.15 ERA in 2002. Although he was traded to Atlanta and had a couple of good seasons with the Braves, Hampton never lived up to the contract. He didn't even come close.  (Photo: Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

Jermaine O'Neal - Don't get it twisted...Jermaine O'Neal is a solid NBA player, still serviceable at the age of 35. But was he ever $126 million good? Almost, but not quite. The power forward/center out of Eau Claire High School signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Indiana Pacers in 2003 and nearly averaged a double-double in points and rebounds the following four seasons in being named an All-Star from 2003-07. However, O'Neal was riddled with injuries the entire time, never able to put together a full season after inking the deal. If O'Neal stayed healthy, he could have lived up to the contract. Since he didn't, he didn't have a shot. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

5 / 11

Jermaine O'Neal - Don't get it twisted...Jermaine O'Neal is a solid NBA player, still serviceable at the age of 35. But was he ever $126 million good? Almost, but not quite. The power forward/center out of Eau Claire High School signed a seven-year, $126 million contract with the Indiana Pacers in 2003 and nearly averaged a double-double in points and rebounds the following four seasons in being named an All-Star from 2003-07. However, O'Neal was riddled with injuries the entire time, never able to put together a full season after inking the deal. If O'Neal stayed healthy, he could have lived up to the contract. Since he didn't, he didn't have a shot. (Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

ADVERTISEMENT
Gilbert Arenas - Gilbert Arenas signed an $111 million contract with the Washington Wizards in 2008. It wasn't that the shooting guard wasn't worth it because "Agent Zero" was averaging nearly 30 points per game in the years prior to landing the deal. But the deal turned out to be a complete bust, as knee injuries only allowed Arenas to play two games in the 2008-09 season. Then, he and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were suspended for most of the 2009-10 season for notoriously bringing guns into the locker room.  (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

6 / 11

Gilbert Arenas - Gilbert Arenas signed an $111 million contract with the Washington Wizards in 2008. It wasn't that the shooting guard wasn't worth it because "Agent Zero" was averaging nearly 30 points per game in the years prior to landing the deal. But the deal turned out to be a complete bust, as knee injuries only allowed Arenas to play two games in the 2008-09 season. Then, he and Wizards teammate Javaris Crittenton were suspended for most of the 2009-10 season for notoriously bringing guns into the locker room.  (Photo: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Michael Vick: June 26 - The controversy-prone NFL player celebrates his 33rd birthday. (Photo: Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

7 / 11

Michael Vick - Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles agreed to a six-year, $100 million contract in 2011. However, nagging injuries and a simple failure to keep the mobile quarterback on the field resulted in this deal being a dud. The contract marked Vick's second $100 million deal, as he signed with the Atlanta Falcons for $130 million over 10 years in 2004, before having to spend 18 months in federal prison on dogfighting charges.(Photo:'Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Kevin Brown's $105 Million Deal With the Los Angeles Dodgers - Kevin Brown's seven-year, $105 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998 made him baseball's first $100 million player at his position. The burly hurler went 72-45 over the seven years — including the final two with the New York Yankees — but didn't wow anybody, progressively getting worse as the years went on. Is that worth a hundred million dollars? (Photo: Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)

8 / 11

Kevin Brown - Kevin Brown is definitely a poster boy for a $100 million sports contract gone wrong. After signing a seven-year, $105 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1998, the right-handed pitcher was hampered by injuries and just never settled into becoming that $100 million star.   (Photo: Eliot J. Schechter/Getty Images)

Joe Johnson - Joe Johnson, Guard, Atlanta Hawks. Eastern Conference. (Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) 

9 / 11

Joe Johnson - Joe Johnson was definitely the beneficiary of a frenzied free agency market, which included LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, when he signed a six-year, $119 million extension with the Atlanta Hawks in 2010. Johnson was one of the league's better players at that time, but not the superstar that his deal demanded. He remains a star, but not an elite superstar today.(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) 

1941032

10 / 11

Alex Rodriguez - What's worse — the 10-year, $252 million contract that the Texas Rangers signed Alex Rodriguez to in 2000 or the 10-year, $275 million deal he inked with the New York Yankees in 2007? Don't get us wrong...A-Rod's numbers were there during most of the tenures with both teams. But so were the drama, allegations, reports, and investigations of A-Rod using performance-enhancing drugs. Can you say legacy — and over a half a billion — down the toilet?(Photo: A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)

Albert Pujols Joins 500 Home Run Club - Albert Pujols became the third-youngest and 26th overall member of Major League Baseball’s 500 home run club, hitting his 499th and 500th-career home runs Tuesday night in the Los Angeles Angels’ 7-2 win over the Washington Nationals. (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

11 / 11

Albert Pujols - Clearly a beneficiary of past accolades, Albert Pujols was able to seal the deal on a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2012. From the moment he signed, at 32, Pujols's power numbers including home runs and slugging percentage went down from 2012 to 2013. He's still a contributor, but not the force he once was with the St. Louis Cardinals. That being said, the Angels are stuck with him for seven more years. Yikes! (Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images)