Brock Osweiler agreed to a four-year contract with the Houston Texans. (Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)
Broncos general manager John Elway said the (4-year, $64 million with $30 million guaranteed) offer to quarterback Brock Osweiler, but it wasn’t enough to retain his services.
The contract details are in on what Osweiler, 25, got with the Houston Texans that led him to leave Denver:
4-year, $72 million dollar deal with $37 million guaranteed.
2016: Osweiler will make $21 million. He will get a $4 million guaranteed base salary along with a $12 million signing bonus and $5 million roster bonus due later this month.
2017: Osweiler’s base salary rises to a fully guaranteed $16 million.
2018: $18 million non-guaranteed base salary.
2019: $4 million roster bonus due if Osweiler is on the team in March along with a $13 million base salary. $17 million total, all non-guaranteed money.
The contract is rather interesting because it sets up to be virtually a two-year deal worth $37 million. All of the guaranteed money is in 2016 and 2017 with essentially two non-guaranteed club options in 2018 or 2019.
The $12 million signing bonus is pro-rated for cap purposes throughout the length of the deal adding three million to each base salary and roster bonus, if due.
Osweiler has a very manageable $12 million cap hit in 2016, but that number rises to $19 million, $21 million and $20 million in subsequent years.
Houston can also get out of the deal rather easily after 2017, if they want. The contract pays Osweiler about the average fee of an NFL starting quarterback. Osweiler’s $18 million a year average ties him with Dallas’ Tony Romo for the 14th highest paid quarterback salary.
Osweiler would be 29 at the completion of the contract likely setting up one last big payday in 2020.
