5 NFL stars who lost a big contract due to legal troubles

The NFL has an uncomfortable history with players and legal issues.

Of course, when you consider the vastly increased percentage of the population that plays American Football, and the fact that a lot of these young men are paid millions before they’ve fully matured, it isn’t the most surprising development.

With that said, aside from the obvious moral implications and possible trauma for victims and their families, there is also the small matter of the fiscal cost of falling foul of the law during your NFL career.

Players stand to lose contracts worth millions of dollars should they be jailed during their time in the NFL, as a number of individuals have already found out the hard way.

A look at 5 NFL stars who lost big contracts due to legal troubles

#5 - Michael Vick

New York Giants v New York Jets

Michael Vick was on his way to the NFL Hall of Fame as one of the most dynamic and explosive quarterbacks to ever play the position.

The Atlanta Falcons felt they had their franchise player in the form of Vick, and duly rewarded the player they drafted with a new contract on Christmas Eve 2004.

Vick signed a 10-year contract with the Falcons that was set to be worth up to $130 million. He was immediately the highest-paid player in the NFL, but disaster was just around the corner.

Vick would lose out on the vast majority of that contract, with his 2007 conviction for running an illegal dog-fighting venture. This conviction would also see the Falcons lose the player while he spent two seasons in prison.

By 2009, when Vick was released from incarceration, the former first-overall draft pick was cut by the Falcons, even though there was still four years left on his mammoth deal.

Vick would go on to have multiple financial problems, as well as a legal battle with the Falcons over money owed to the franchise, even though he had signed a deal which should have left him rich for life.

#4 - Antonio Brown

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New York Jets

Antonio Brown’s life spiralled out of control as soon as he left the Pittsburgh Steelers.

While the former Tampa Bay Buccaneer has landed himself in even further difficulty as of 2022, the New England Patriots were, at one time, willing to offer the receiver a lifeline.

Encouraged by Tom Brady, Bill Belichick made the decision to bring Brown into the Foxboro franchise on a one-year contract worth around $15 million dollars.

With his chaotically-short spell with the Raiders behind him, this was supposed to be a chance for Brown to stay in the NFL.

However, it lasted less than a month. Brown was released after it emerged that he was under investigation for multiple accusations of inappropriate sexual behavior.

There was a further accusation of rape, and thus Brown was no longer attached to his $15 million contract in Foxboro.

#3 - Ray Rice

San Francisco 49ers v Baltimore Ravens

The events that led to Ray Rice’s departure from the NFL remain one of the most disgusting episodes in the sport’s modern history.

Rice, who was one of the NFL’s best running backs and a star with the Baltimore Ravens, was captured on film brutally knocking out his girlfriend inside an elevator and then dragging her limp body out into the corridor.

When the video emerged, there was condemnation within the NFL, and the Baltimore Ravens duly released the offensive star.

Rice signed a $35 million contract with the Ravens in 2012, with there still being three years to run on it when he was released in 2014.

Even though the criminal charges against Rice were eventually dropped, and he married the woman in question less than two months after the incident, he never played another NFL snap and lost his $35 million deal.

#2 - Henry Ruggs

Former Las Vegas Raiders Wide Receiver Henry Ruggs III Ordered to Appear In Court Following Fatal DUI Crash

The Las Vegas Raiders endured a tumultuous season in 2021 which culminated in the harrowing car accident caused by Henry Ruggs.

The wide receiver was still on his rookie deal with the Raiders, but it was a four-year agreement worth just shy of $17 million, which isn’t an unsubstantial sum of money.

Furthermore, you have to consider the fact that Ruggs’ performances on the field were likely to lead to a bigger contract in 2024.

Ruggs made the conscious decision to get behind the wheel of his car while knowingly intoxicated, after drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, and his actions directly led to the death of Tina Tintor and her dog, Max.

The Raiders immediately cut Ruggs’ contract and released him, and in all likelihood, his NFL career is over.

A hearing is imminent for Ruggs, and he will likely face a prison sentence, which could reach up to 45 years.

#1 - Plaxico Burress

Washington Redskins v New York Giants

In one of the more bizarre instances of an NFL player losing money due to legal issues, Plaxico Burress cost himself an awful lot of cash and street-cred when he accidentally shot himself during a gun-battle in November 2008.

Burress was a star receiver with the New York Giants at the time, having been part of their Super Bowl win in the 2007 season.

Life was good for Burress, who had signed a six-year contract with the Giants worth around $25 million.

Being just halfway into the deal when the incident involving the shooting occurred, Burress would cost himself an awful lot of money through his own stupidity.

Burress was allowed to play on in 2008; however, the Giants released him when it appeared as though the player would have to spend time in prison.

The receiver would spend two years in jail before returning to the NFL with the New York Jets on a deal worth $3 million, nowhere near what he would have earned with the Giants.