Contract Proration Ratios

This table explores the balance between the two primary methods teams use to structure guaranteed money in non-rookie contracts: signing bonuses that are prorated over the length of the contract to a maximum of five years; and guaranteed base salaries that are not prorated but kept within a particular year. The contracts included are those agreed upon by each current general manager or top executive during his or her tenure with the team.

Teams with a higher proration ratio rely heavier on signing bonuses that offer more salary cap room in the present but contain the potential for higher dead money in the future. Teams with a lower proration ratio incur higher cap charges at the beginning of the contract but gain more flexibility to alter or terminate the contract in later years.

For this table, a top executive's tenure is considered to begin in the first year he or she is a top executive at the start of that respective league year. Those that have yet to achieve this will not show on this table until that moment occurs.

Proration Ratio League Average: 2.01

Proration Ratio League Median: 1.28

TeamTop ExecutiveTenureTotal GuaranteesSigning BonusesSalary GuaranteesProration Ratio
CommandersAdam Peters2024$64,280,000$59,160,000$5,120,00011.55
SeahawksJohn Schneider2010$286,372,227$244,426,444$41,945,7835.83
PackersBrian Gutekunst2018$247,138,040$206,251,307$40,886,7335.04
RavensEric DeCosta2019$468,318,176$375,011,943$93,306,2334.02
RamsLes Snead2012$255,133,971$200,861,654$54,272,3173.70
49ersJohn Lynch2017$456,021,282$348,408,189$107,613,0933.24
SteelersOmar Khan2022$168,686,176$127,503,520$41,182,6563.10
ChargersTom Telesco2013$325,605,037$242,258,594$83,346,4432.91
BrownsAndrew Berry2020$624,260,195$434,155,100$190,105,0952.28
BengalsMike Brown1991$351,559,384$239,509,508$112,049,8762.14
BillsBrandon Beane2018$377,497,861$255,637,865$121,859,9962.10
VikingsKwesi Adofo-Mensah2022$156,411,989$99,152,476$57,259,5131.73
JaguarsTrent Baalke2022$342,040,835$211,427,608$130,613,2271.62
PanthersDan Morgan2024$98,836,250$59,166,250$39,670,0001.49
DolphinsChris Grier2019$340,478,655$193,986,808$146,491,8471.32
CowboysJerry Jones1994$399,953,936$224,982,084$174,971,8521.29
LionsBrad Holmes2021$282,203,813$158,434,452$123,769,3611.28
PatriotsBill Belichick2000$242,966,475$134,608,858$108,357,6171.24
TitansRan Carthon2023$220,035,313$121,461,156$98,574,1571.23
FalconsTerry Fontenot2021$461,912,677$252,779,540$209,133,1371.21
JetsJoe Douglas2020$439,152,427$236,100,808$203,051,6191.16
TexansNick Caserio2021$428,914,428$228,690,488$200,223,9401.14
CardinalsMonti Ossenfort2023$153,429,341$81,743,628$71,685,7131.14
BroncosGeorge Paton2021$226,424,198$118,143,124$108,281,0741.09
GiantsJoe Schoen2022$459,936,470$207,206,028$252,730,4420.82
ColtsChris Ballard2017$376,384,020$167,818,600$208,565,4200.80
SaintsMickey Loomis2001$412,345,906$179,196,281$233,149,6250.77
BearsRyan Poles2022$339,905,199$145,843,427$194,061,7720.75
RaidersTom Telesco2024$89,228,000$36,950,000$52,278,0000.71
ChiefsBrett Veach2018$363,986,040$150,652,760$213,333,2800.71
BuccaneersJason Licht2014$286,517,479$57,164,700$229,352,7790.25
EaglesHowie Roseman2010$504,634,071$723,045,751($218,411,680)-3.31