When Donovan McNabb signed what was reported to be a five-year, $78 million contract extension that includes $40 million guaranteed, many people wanted to know how the contract really breaks down. Often times the first leak of a contract comes from the player's camp and the numbers are inflated. That's sort of the situation with McNabb.
He has a legitimate chance to earn that guaranteed money but we won't really know until after 2010. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports some details of McNabb's extension.
One of the contract's most significant points is a payment due this offseason, when the Redskins must decide whether or not to pay McNabb a $10 million option bonus. If they do, it would trigger the rest of the contract and make Washington liable for McNabb's $2.5 million base salary in 2011.
But if they don't pick up that option, the Redskins would only owe McNabb his 2010 money. As SB Nation DC notes, that's hardly the same as the $40 million guaranteed we originally heard.
What this comes down to is that 2010 is still a make or break year for McNabb. He's going through a very average season so the Redskins will have a very difficult decision to make following the season.
Check out SB Nation DC and Hogs Haven for more on the deal.