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: 1.75

Proration Ratio League Median: 1.29

TeamTop ExecutiveTenureTotal GuaranteesSigning BonusesSalary GuaranteesProration Ratio
SeahawksJohn Schneider2010$296,622,227$252,448,944$44,173,2835.72
PackersBrian Gutekunst2018$252,953,072$212,066,339$40,886,7335.19
RavensEric DeCosta2019$470,415,676$375,844,443$94,571,2333.97
49ersJohn Lynch2017$430,102,684$341,976,029$88,126,6553.88
RamsLes Snead2012$275,937,229$209,399,912$66,537,3173.15
SteelersOmar Khan2022$171,563,676$129,171,020$42,392,6563.05
ChargersTom Telesco2013$319,499,737$238,656,094$80,843,6432.95
BrownsAndrew Berry2020$659,147,137$478,160,676$180,986,4612.64
CommandersAdam Peters2024$93,135,000$66,365,000$26,770,0002.48
BengalsMike Brown1991$353,976,884$241,927,008$112,049,8762.16
BillsBrandon Beane2018$388,472,861$259,895,365$128,577,4962.02
JaguarsTrent Baalke2022$370,108,335$235,995,108$134,113,2271.76
VikingsKwesi Adofo-Mensah2022$210,594,489$130,099,976$80,494,5131.62
PanthersDan Morgan2024$106,746,250$64,531,250$42,215,0001.53
DolphinsChris Grier2019$361,551,155$205,959,308$155,591,8471.32
LionsBrad Holmes2021$262,968,813$149,729,452$113,239,3611.32
CowboysJerry Jones1994$390,910,900$220,352,212$170,558,6881.29
PatriotsBill Belichick2000$252,638,975$140,051,358$112,587,6171.24
TitansRan Carthon2023$227,360,313$125,661,156$101,699,1571.24
FalconsTerry Fontenot2021$459,337,677$251,399,540$207,938,1371.21
TexansNick Caserio2021$441,961,428$238,615,488$203,345,9401.17
CardinalsMonti Ossenfort2023$154,626,841$82,741,128$71,885,7131.15
JetsJoe Douglas2020$447,932,427$239,664,808$208,267,6191.15
BroncosGeorge Paton2021$229,871,698$119,560,624$110,311,0741.08
GiantsJoe Schoen2022$465,628,970$208,048,528$257,580,4420.81
ColtsChris Ballard2017$379,160,324$169,137,404$210,022,9200.81
SaintsMickey Loomis2001$432,985,906$184,246,281$248,739,6250.74
BearsRyan Poles2022$343,507,699$146,090,927$197,416,7720.74
ChiefsBrett Veach2018$368,703,540$152,765,260$215,938,2800.71
RaidersTom Telesco2024$94,188,000$38,725,000$55,463,0000.70
BuccaneersJason Licht2014$260,926,665$37,824,108$223,102,5570.17
EaglesHowie Roseman2010$548,740,685$829,569,991($280,829,306)-2.95