5 NFL players who lost out on a big payday due to off-field problems

When NFL teams sign players to contracts, there is always a certain amount of risk involved. Some of these risks are due to factors on the field, such as the possibility of injuries or a player dipping below their usual level of production. Football is a violent and, often, unpredictable game, so every contract is a gamble to an extent.

Off-the-field problems can also play a major role in the risk factors for each individual player. History and patterns of behavior can help a franchise determine the value they want to place on that specific player, but, sometimes, issues can arise, seemingly, out of nowhere.

Just because a player has never caused problems in the past doesn't mean they never will in the future. The same can be said for players with questionable pasts who have turned things around and become much more reliable.

Off-the-field issues are always weighed up by NFL teams and can determine whether or not a player will get a big contract. Players have, sometimes, made bad decisions and life choices that have cost them huge paydays in the NFL.

Here are five such instances:

#1 Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith was one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league across his first three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. He managed a massive 42 sacks in his first three years and was selected as a first-team All-Pro.

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Smith struggled with substance abuse, accumulating three DUIs with the 49ers before they released him during his fourth season. He later signed with other teams on relatively small contracts, but missed out on a massive payday, considering pass rushers are the second-highest paid players in the NFL.

#2 Adam "Pacman" Jones

Adam "Pacman" Jones was once one of the most dynamic defensive backs in the league. Across his first two NFL seasons, he recorded four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He also accounted for four additional punt return touchdowns.

But his career has been plagued by both on-field and off-field issues, including substance abuse and assault. He was suspended and fined multiple times, adding up to more than two million dollars, and missed out on signing a contract that his talent was capable of receiving.

#3 Josh Gordon

Josh Gordon was once one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. After a solid rookie season in 2013 with the Cleveland Browns, Gordon led the league with 1,646 receiving yards during the 2014 season, while being selected as a first-team All-Pro.

Since his incredible 2014 season, Gordon's career has gone downhill. He has been suspended six different times for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

He has signed with several teams on low-salary contracts, but missed out on a massive payday, considering how much wide receivers are paid in the modern game.

#4 Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown had one of the best six-year runs by any wide receiver in NFL history during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls and five straight All-Pro teams while leading the league in receptions and receiving yards twice.

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After forcing his way out of Pittsburgh, Antonio Brown signed with the Las Vegas Raiders, but was released before even playing a game due to off-field conflicts. He lost out on $30 million as a result. The rest of his career has been defined by controversies and he has never signed as lucrative a contract since.

#5 Ray Rice

Baltimore Ravens Ray Rice Press Conference

Ray Rice exceeded 1,600 total yards in four consecutive years from the 2009 to 2012 seasons, including leading the NFL with 2,068 total yards during the 2011 season. He was in the prime of his NFL career until an incident off-the-field ended his time in the sun.

Rice was caught on camera in a physical altercation with his then-girlfriend and now-wife Janay Palmer, causing the Ravens to terminate his contract. He missed out on nearly 10 million dollars and was never picked up by a team again.