On Friday, before Bills G.M. Buddy Nix joined PFT Live to talk about the acquisition of defensive end Mario Williams, Buddy said he always checks PFT to see the actual value of contracts.
It’s fitting, then, that we’re now breaking down the actual value of the Mario Williams contract.
Here we go, in quick and easy terms via info obtained for a source with knowledge of the contract.
1. $19 million signing bonus.
2. $5.9 million fully guaranteed base salary in 2012.
3. $8 million option bonus in 2013.
4. $6.5 million base salary in 2013, guaranteed for injury only at the time of signing, fully guaranteed second day of 2013 league year.
5. $10.6 million roster bonus in 2014, guaranteed for injury only at time of signing.
6. $1.9 million base salary in 2014.
7. $1 million roster bonus in 2015.
8. $12.1 million base salary in 2015.
9. $2.5 million roster bonus in 2016.
10. $11.5 million base salary in 2016.
11. $3.5 million roster bonus in 2017.
12. $11.4 million base salary in 2017.
13. $100,000 workout bonus in 2012, with $500,000 workout bonuses in each year from 2013 to 2016.
13. $400,000 Pro Bowl incentives per year.
14. $400,000 in additional incentives per year.
The base value is $96 million. The incentives can push the deal to $100 million.
At the time of signing, the deal contains fully guaranteed money in the amount of $24.9 million.
Also, another $17.1 million is guaranteed for injury only at the time of signing; $6.5 million of it becomes fully guaranteed later. It’s unclear whether the $8 million option bonus is fully guaranteed; as a practical matter, it is.
Given the $10.6 million roster bonus due in 2014, it’s a two-year, $40 million contract with a team-held option on the final four years. More accurately, it’s a two-year contract with a one-year-at-a-time decision by the team as to whether it continues.
While it’s a significant risk in the short term, the Bills can walk away if it doesn’t work out.
There’s no reason to think it won’t work out. Still, at a time when the perception is that the Bills handed the keys to the checking account to Williams, the truth is that it wasn’t as reckless as some may think.
Apart from the $40 million commitment for two seasons of football, which works out to $1.25 million per regular-season game.