Contracts (Including extensions, releases, restructures)

[tomviolence]

Contracts
Contracts are always listed in terms of flat salary and the last season of such contract. For example, $10m (2024) is a contract the pays $10m each season through the 2024 season. League minimum contact is $500k. 

Except for any contract inherited in 2020, all contracts must be no longer than five years. Also, for a given salary, all contacts have term limits (max years contract can be per the salary) as provided below.

Salary range (per year), Maximum Years
$1m or less = 2 years
$1.1m - $4.9m = 3 years
$5.0m - $9.9mm = 4 years
$10m or higher = 5 years (max years is 5)

Releasing Players Under Contract
All contracts are non-binding, you may release a player at any time. However, bonuses are given to each contract for the duration of the contract that will count against your salary cap. They are as follows:

Player's yearly salary/amount of bonus each year:
$1.0m or less = no bonus
$1.1m - $3.0m = $500k
$3.1m - $5.0m = $1.0m
$5.1m - $7.0m = $2.0m
$7.1m - $10.0m = $3.0m
$10.1m - $15.0m = $4.0m
$15.1m or higher = $5.0m

Example - The Colts sign Derrick Henry for $48.0m. Contract is set for 3 years @ $16.0m. Henry's bonus each year is $5.0m for each of the 3 years he was signed for, whether he plays for the Colts or another team, since his yearly salary ($16.0m) is over $15.1m (based on the bonus chart). Remember, if you release a player, any remaining years he has on the contract will have its bonus affect your cap for its duration. Always check your contract lengths.

-If a team releases a player, that team may not re-sign said player for 30 days.

-The only exception is when a new owner takes over a team, the new owner may drop any one player without penalty. 

Restructuring Contracts
Restructuring allows annual salary to be reduced if player's market value (extension price) is less than or equal to half that of what he is paid. Total reduction in salary is converted into a guaranteed signing bonus during the current (or upcoming for off-season) year. Annual salary after such restructuring must be over $4m. Restructuring of contracts is not allowed during the period after the trade deadline and before the off-season. Here is an example using hypothetical rankings and market values with a contract.
Mike Evans, $14.6m (3 years)

Let's say his market value is $5.5m, and the team owning him at the time has plenty of cap space. The restructuring says that his new annual salary is $5.5m. However, the leftover money now front-loaded to him in the form of a bonus (100% guaranteed). The signing bonus is then a whopping $36.4m.

Now, let's say the team doesn't have that cap room, but they want to restructure the contract a little bit. Well, that example is the extreme...the team can play the middle ground and reduce the annual salary to $10.5m per say for a signing bonus of $15m. Such restructuring of contracts is not allowed from August 1st to the end of the playoffs to prevent teams from abusing the restructuring to make it count for an additional season.

Contract Buyout
For a contract buyout, a GM must pay his bonus salary for the current season, plus all salary bonuses in each year after in the current season. This will allow a GM to not accrue any cap hits for any future years of a forfeited contract. No buyouts allowed once playoffs start.

Example: If a team releases David Johnson $18.0m (2024), he is due a signing bonus of $5.0m per year. Therefore, the team must pay his bonus this season ($5.0m) plus his 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 bonuses, a total $20.0m. Therefore, a team may release Adrian Peterson, and not take a cap hit to his contract for any season after the current one if the team pays $20.0m for a contract buyout in 2020.


Extensions

Extensions can only be given in the last season of a player's contract or after the final season of a player's contract before the league rolls over to the next league year. Extensions must be a minimum of two seasons. Salary is based on player's top positional ranking from the last two complete seasons. If in offseason, last two complete seasons. If before week 11 of current season, last two seasons and current. If after week 11 of current NFL season, then it will be last complete season and current season. Contracts are subject to maximum years and bonus guidelines, as follows:

REGULAR SEASON, PRE-NFL WEEK 11 (Last bye weeks) (2020): 2018, 2019, and 2020 rankings are used (Prior 2 seasons and current)
REGULAR SEASON, AFTER NFL WEEK 11 (2020): 2019 and 2020 rankings are used (so current and 1 yr prior)
OFFSEASON (between 2020 & 2021); 2019 and 2020 rankings are used

Note: Values will be adjusted when required based on contracts within the league and based on Laimbeer's adjustments for QFL. The highest paid player at that position will set the top value, then the rest will go down from there.

EFFECTIVE APRIL 1, 2020

Quarterbacks
1-2 - $22.0m
3-5 - $20.0m
6 - $19.0m
7- $18.0m
8 - $17.0m
9 - $16.0m
10 - $15.0m
11-12 - $12.5m
13-14 - $9.0m
15-17 - $7.0m
18-20 - $6.0m
21-22 - $5.0m
23-25 - $4.0m
26-28 - $3.0m
29-30 - $2.5m
31-40 - $2.0m
41 or higher - $1.0m

Running Backs
1 - $14.0m
2 - $13.0m
3 - $12.0m
4 - $11.0m
5 - $10.0m
6-10 - $9.0m
11-20 - $8.0m
21-30 - $7.0m
31-40 - $5.0m
41-50 - $3.5m
51-60 - $2.5m
61-75 - $1.5m
76 or higher - $1.0

Wide Receivers
1 - $15.0m
2 - $14.0m
3 - $13.0m
4 - $12.0m
5 - $11.0m
6-10 - $10.0m
11-20 - $9.0m
21-30 - $7.5m
31-40 - $6.5m
41-50 - $5.0m
51-60 - $4.0m
61-70 - $3.0m
71-80 - $2.5m
81-90 - $2.0m
91-100 - $1.5m
101 or higher - $1.0m

Tight Ends
1 - $11.0m
2 - $10.0m
3 - $9.0m
4 - $8.0m
5 - $7.0m
6-10 - $6.0m
11-15 - $5.0m
16-20 - $3.5m
21-25 - $2.5m
26-30 - $2.0m
31-40 - $1.5m
41 or higher - $1.0m

Defensive Ends
1 - $16.0m
2 - $15.0m
3 - $14.0m
4 - $13.0m
5 - $12.0m
6 - $11.0m
7 - $10.0m
8 - $9.0m
9 - $8.0m
10 - $7.0m
11-20 - $6.0m
21-30 - $5.0m
31-40 - $4.0m
41-50 - $3.0m
51-60 - $2.0m
61 or higher - $1.0m

Defensive Tackles
1 - $15.0m
2 - $14.0m
3 - $13.0m
4 - $12.0m
5 - $11.0m
6 - $10.0m
7 - $9.0m
8 - $8.0m
9 - $7.0m
10 - $6.0m
11-20 - $5.0m
21-30 - $4.0m
31-40 - $3.0m
41-50 - $2.0m
51-60 - $1.0m
61 or higher - $0.5m

Linebackers
1 - $16.0m
2 - $15.0m
3 - $14.0m
4 - $13.0m
5 - $12.0m
6-10 $11.0m
11-15 - $10.0m
16-20 - $9.0m
21-30 - $8.0m
31-40 - $7.0m
41-50 - $6.0m
51-60 - $5.0m
61-70 - $4.0m
71-80 - $3.0m
81-90 - $2.0m
91-100 - $1.5m
101 or higher - $1.0m

Safeties & Cornerbacks
1 - $13.0m
2 - $12.0m
3 - $11.0m
4 - $10.0m
5 - $9.0m
6-10 - $8.0m
11-15 - $7.0m
16-20 - $6.0m
21-30 - $5.0m
31-40 - $4.0m
41-50 - $2.5m
51-60 - $1.5m
61 or higher - $1.0m

Kickers
1 - $5.0m
2 - $4.5m
3 - $4.0m
4 - $3.5m
5 - $3.0m
6-10 - $2.5m
11-20 - $2.0m
21 or higher - $1.0m

[tomviolence]

EXTENSION WEEK UPDATED TO WEEK 11 per NFL schedule expansion.

[tomviolence]

First, raising the minimum contract form 400K to 500K. Our release penalties are already quite forgiving. This will be easier for me on the processing end as it brings it in line with other leagues I run for the same minimum.

Second, beginning NEXT OFFSEASON, all extensions will be a 2-year minimum. This will lead to a more robust FA as some guys who currently get extended on 1-year deals each offseason will now have to decide if they want to gamble two years out. This is kind of a different twist on Laim's QFL where a one year contract means they will automatically become a UFA. Here, we'll just remove that for extensions. Regular FA signings can still be one year however. This will only apply to extensions.