JaMarcus Russell Officially Signs Richest NFL Rookie Contract

Russell Could Earn As Much As $68M Over Course Of Rookie Contract

The Raiders yesterday officially agreed to terms with QB JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 pick in the '07 NFL Draft, on a six-year, $61M contract that guarantees him $32M, the "richest rookie contract in NFL history," according to Nancy Gay of the S.F. CHRONICLE. If Russell reaches several performance- and appearance-based incentives, and the Raiders "improve as a team and reach certain offensive targets and victory totals," Russell could earn as much as $68M over the course of the deal. As it is written, the Raiders are paying Russell $32M guaranteed, "if all his escalators -- $3[M] of which are backloaded to 2010 -- are triggered." The Raiders "got the guarantees they wanted," as the deal has an "attractive base package because the bulk of the incentives and escalators are backloaded, giving the team three seasons of protection and breathing room." Meanwhile, Russell's agents, Ethan Lock and Eric Metz, got a "record deal and attractive cash flows for their client the first three seasons" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 9/12).