13 of the most memorable contracts in the history of professional sports

It’s hard to miss Shohei Ohtani’s contract, signed in 2023. The Los Angeles Dodgers signed him to a 10-year deal worth $700 million, the vast majority of which will be paid after his career is over!

A year later, Juan Soto signed a 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets. These were two contracts that made a lasting impression, not only because of their monetary magnitude, but also, in Ohtani’s case, because the sum will be paid mainly after his career is over (680 million).

The monstrous contracts of the sports world became more real in 2020, when quarterback Patrick Mahomes signed a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs for 10 years and $450 million, excluding certain bonuses. We were getting dangerously close to the $500 million mark…

There have been several $300 million contracts awarded in recent years, notably in Major League Baseball and the NBA. That said, the most stunning contract in sports history is probably the $252 million Alex Rodriguez was awarded by the Texas Rangers in 2001.

And in 2008, the New York Yankees increased the deal to $275 million for the same 10-year period. Let’s not forget that dollars then don’t compare to dollars now!

Boxer Floyd Mayweather, however, surpasses every sportsman on the planet when it comes to hourly rates. His fight against Conor McGregor in 2017 earned him $280 million! Not to mention the 250 million amassed from a “special attraction” type fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

Soccer is no exception, with some incredible contracts, such as Cristiano Ronaldo’s $536 million deal with Al-Nassr. All that for just two and a half years! But then, Ronaldo is one of the most famous players in the history of his sport…

Or Lionel Messi’s deal with Miami, worth $150 million for two and a half seasons. To see the best soccer player on the planet choose America for the next stage of his career, that’s a fact that shocked the sports world!

Let’s finish with hockey, which has some interesting stories when it comes to contracts. The Pittsburgh Penguins have awarded Sidney Crosby a symbolic $8.7 million per season contract. Crosby always played with number 87!

In 1997, the New York Rangers made a hostile offer to compensated free agent Joe Sakic, an offer that was eventually matched by the Colorado Avalanche. $21 million over 3 years, including a $15 million signing bonus, unheard of!

A few years later, star Paul Kariya signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Avalanche to help the team meet the salary cap. Kariya could have earned $6 or $7 million elsewhere, but he wanted to win. Unfortunately, the Avalanche didn’t win the Stanley Cup that year.

Finally, the very first player to sign a million-dollar contract in the world of hockey was Bobby Orr, who agreed to a 5-year, $1 million contract with the Bruins in the ’70s.

But Bobby Hull was the first player to earn $1 million in a single season, with the Winnipeg Jets of the World Hockey Association in 1972. At the time, it was a signing bonus.