Juan Soto’s $765 million deal dwarfs Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson’s combined salary
Juan Soto's groundbreaking 15-year deal with the Mets will, however, pay him lesser than the highest-paid NFL QBs on an annual basis.
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Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, and Dak Prescott earn more than Juan Soto will per year (Image Credits: Background Images via IMAGO, Image in circle via Open Source)
The New York Mets made a splash in the off-season after they signed star player Juan Soto right from under the nose of the Yankees. However, the news of his trade is not the reason he is trending but the amount that he will receive for the next 15 years.
Just when fans thought Shohei Ohtani‘s massive deal would not be topped anytime soon, the Mets have agreed to pay Juan Soto $765 million for the next decade and a half. Despite signing for a bigger amount than Ohtani, Soto will be playing for five more years on the contract than the Dodgers star.
Juan Soto’s contract will create generational wealth for him. What is more fascinating is the fact that this one deal trumps the top NFL quarterback contracts. Presently Dak Prescott and Joe Burrow are the highest-paid quarterbacks in the NFL, earning an estimated $240 and $275 million over a four-year and five-year time frame, respectively.
Juan Soto will still earn less than NFL quarterbacks on an annual basis
Add Lamar Jackson as well to this equation. The Baltimore Ravens quarterback is set to make $260 million over five years. The total value of these deals, which have restructured and shaken the quarterback market, adds up to a little over $775 million. That is just $10 million more than Soto’s contract.
While the deal may seem utterly ridiculous at this point, if one takes into account inflation and the revenue-generation opportunities this would give the Mets, the sum seems reasonable. While Juan Soto is scheduled to make more than three of the top NFL quarterbacks, he will still receive less money than them yearly.
| NAME | TOTAL CONTRACT VALUE | SIGNING BONUS | ESTIMATED YEARLY SALARY | CONTRACT DURATION |
| Juan Soto | $765,000,000 | $75,000,000 | $51,000,000 | 15 Years |
| Dak Prescott | $240,000,000 ($231M guaranteed) | $80,000,000 | $60,000,000 | 4 Years (UFA1 in 2029) |
| Joe Burrow | $275,000,000 ($219M guaranteed) | $40,000,000 | $55,000,000 | 5 Years (UFA in 2030) |
| Lamar Jackson | $260,000,000 ($185M guaranteed) | $72,500,000 | $52,000,000 | 5 Years (UFA in 2028) |
From the above comparison, it is visible that the top quarterbacks in the league, although having a combined contract value lesser than Juan Soto, will still make more than him every year.
By estimate, Dak Prescott, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson will have amassed a little over $500 million each through their career earnings from playing in the NFL. This estimate assumes the value of their future contracts and takes into consideration the money made from past contracts. At the end of the day, Juan Soto will still make more than them.
Juan Soto’s contract is better than Shohei Ohtani’s deal
The Mets have not taken a page from the Dodgers playbook. Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million deal contained a large amount in deferred money. The actual value of his deal is estimated at $460 million. As per ESPN’s Jeff Passan, Juan Soto’s contract has no deferred money, and the overall value of the contract can go up to $800 million.
An interesting aspect of this contract is that it has an opt-out clause after five years. The New York Mets can void this particular clause by increasing the average annual value of the deal from an existing $51 million to $55 million over the last 10 years of the contract.
Juan Soto's 15-year, $765 million deal with the New York Mets includes no deferred money, according to sources, and has escalators that can reach above $800 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2024
It is a phenomenal deal and the longest in MLB history, eclipsing Fernando Tatis‘ 14-year deal for $340 million with the Padres. His contract once again highlights the ridiculous contracts in MLB due to the absence of a salary cap.
This might go down as one of the greatest bets made by an athlete on himself in sports history, as just two years earlier, Soto declined the Washington Nationals’ massive $440 million offer over the same timeframe.
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Sumedh Joshi
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