Saints quarterback Drew Brees wanted to stay in New Orleans more than he wanted to maximize his value.
As a result, he took a two-year, $50 million contract that reportedly had just $27 million guaranteed.
How much more could he have made if he tested the market? ESPN reports that at least one other team was willing to give Brees $60 million guaranteed over two years.
In the end, Brees decided he wanted to put the Saints in the best position to win. That meant leaving them with enough cap space to fortify the roster around him. And it meant taking a lot less money from the Saints than he would have made if he had waited for free agency to start tomorrow, and signed with the team willing to pay him the most.