<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s felt like Christmas morning for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">After overwhelming speculation, hearsay, and rumours, the team finally agreed on a long-term contract extension with superstar first baseman <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-and-vladimir-guerrero-jr-agree-to-a-14-year-500-million-extension">Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a> in the early hours of Monday morning. The 14-year, $500 contract feels long overdue and makes Valddy the second-highest paid player (in guaranteed money) in Major League Baseball. </span></p>
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<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that the 26-year-old has become one of the faces of the game, how does his contract compare with other behemoths of the sports world?</span></p>
<h2><b>NFL</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The National Football League is the most profitable sports league in the world, with a revenue of over $18 billion in 2024. The incredible success of the league has been shared with its players, and the stars of the NFL have signed some of the most eye-popping contracts in sports history. The salary structure is not the same as baseball, as NFL contracts are not usually fully guaranteed, and clubs can cut players to save on cap space further along the deal. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Bills, QB Josh Allen reached agreement on a new 6-year deal worth $330M with $250M guaranteed. (via <a href="https://twitter.com/RapSheet?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RapSheet</a>) <a href="https://t.co/1rExO7dqMS">pic.twitter.com/1rExO7dqMS</a></p>
<p>&mdash; NFL (@NFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1898881589511401588?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 9, 2025</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34096853/highest-paid-nfl-players-tracking-most-money-guaranteed-per-year-every-position">boasts</a> the highest three-year average, or APY, with an annual salary of $61.6 million through a four-year deal he signed just before the 2024 season. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is next on that list, with an APY of $61.3 million. Buffalo Bills pivot Josh Allen tops the list of guaranteed money earners at $250 million (for six years), half of what Guerrero signed for. </span></p>
<h2><b>NBA</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The NBA has enjoyed impressive growth over the past decade, with the average franchise value increasing from $634 million to over $4 billion. Golden State Warriors star guard Steph Curry is the<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/salaries"> highest earner</a> for the 2024-25 season, with a salary of $55.7 million. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Boston Celtics forward Jayson Taum may not be as globally recognized as Curry, but he’s playing on the most valuable <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/contracts/">contract</a> ($313,933,410, five years) in the NBA.</span></p>
<h2><b>Soccer</b></h2>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Christiano Ronaldo has been at the top of the world’s most popular sport for years and, unsurprisingly, finds himself near the top of the highest contracts ever signed. Ronaldo is playing out a <a href="https://gulfnews.com/sport/football/record-breaking-salary-cristiano-ronaldo-to-earn-426-a-minute-at-saudi-arabian-club-al-nassr-1.93000689">pact</a> signed with Saudi-Arabian soccer club Al Nassr for just two years worth over 200 million euros per season. He extended that deal into 2026, with 90 million euros coming from his contract and the additional money coming from guaranteed sponsorships and endorsements, pushing it to the 200 mark. </span></p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">🚨 OFFICIAL: Cristiano Ronaldo joins Al Nassr, here we go! Contract valid until 2025 🇵🇹🇸🇦 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ronaldo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ronaldo</a> <a href="https://t.co/HB562KnaTf">pic.twitter.com/HB562KnaTf</a></p>
<p>&mdash; Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1608933825333297153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blue Jays fans have been screaming for the organization to lock up Guerrero for years. Now that it’s happened, the front office can move to retaining fellow star shortstop Bo Bichette and improving the farm system. It’s also an appropriate time to look at how Vlad’s payday compares to titans in other sports. </span></p>
<p><span style="font-weight: 400;">The structure of baseball contracts means that the contract Guerrero signed will likely span the rest of his career, while Allen and Tatum will be eligible for another pay raise in a few years (or at least another similar deal). Regardless, the perennial All-Star is now one of the highest compensated and most globally recognizable athletes on earth.</span></p>
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<span style="font-weight: 400;">It’s felt like Christmas morning for fans of the Toronto Blue Jays. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">After overwhelming speculation, hearsay, and rumours, the team finally agreed on a long-term contract extension with superstar first baseman <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/blue-jays-and-vladimir-guerrero-jr-agree-to-a-14-year-500-million-extension">Vladimir Guerrero Jr.</a> in the early hours of Monday morning. The 14-year, $500 contract feels long overdue and makes Valddy the second-highest paid player (in guaranteed money) in Major League Baseball. </span>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="330" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="“web-content-promocard&quot;"></div>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Now that the 26-year-old has become one of the faces of the game, how does his contract compare with other behemoths of the sports world?</span>
<h2><b>NFL</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The National Football League is the most profitable sports league in the world, with a revenue of over $18 billion in 2024. The incredible success of the league has been shared with its players, and the stars of the NFL have signed some of the most eye-popping contracts in sports history. The salary structure is not the same as baseball, as NFL contracts are not usually fully guaranteed, and clubs can cut players to save on cap space further along the deal. </span>

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1898881589511401588

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34096853/highest-paid-nfl-players-tracking-most-money-guaranteed-per-year-every-position">boasts</a> the highest three-year average, or APY, with an annual salary of $61.6 million through a four-year deal he signed just before the 2024 season. Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow is next on that list, with an APY of $61.3 million. Buffalo Bills pivot Josh Allen tops the list of guaranteed money earners at $250 million (for six years), half of what Guerrero signed for. </span>
<h2><b>NBA</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">The NBA has enjoyed impressive growth over the past decade, with the average franchise value increasing from $634 million to over $4 billion. Golden State Warriors star guard Steph Curry is the<a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/salaries"> highest earner</a> for the 2024-25 season, with a salary of $55.7 million. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Boston Celtics forward Jayson Taum may not be as globally recognized as Curry, but he’s playing on the most valuable <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nba/contracts/">contract</a> ($313,933,410, five years) in the NBA.</span>
<h2><b>Soccer</b></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400;">Christiano Ronaldo has been at the top of the world’s most popular sport for years and, unsurprisingly, finds himself near the top of the highest contracts ever signed. Ronaldo is playing out a <a href="https://gulfnews.com/sport/football/record-breaking-salary-cristiano-ronaldo-to-earn-426-a-minute-at-saudi-arabian-club-al-nassr-1.93000689">pact</a> signed with Saudi-Arabian soccer club Al Nassr for just two years worth over 200 million euros per season. He extended that deal into 2026, with 90 million euros coming from his contract and the additional money coming from guaranteed sponsorships and endorsements, pushing it to the 200 mark. </span>

https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1608933825333297153

<span style="font-weight: 400;">Blue Jays fans have been screaming for the organization to lock up Guerrero for years. Now that it’s happened, the front office can move to retaining fellow star shortstop Bo Bichette and improving the farm system. It’s also an appropriate time to look at how Vlad’s payday compares to titans in other sports. </span>

<span style="font-weight: 400;">The structure of baseball contracts means that the contract Guerrero signed will likely span the rest of his career, while Allen and Tatum will be eligible for another pay raise in a few years (or at least another similar deal). Regardless, the perennial All-Star is now one of the highest compensated and most globally recognizable athletes on earth.</span>

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