Chapter 102: Chapter 82: First NFL Contract

"While it’s still a bit early to talk about this," he said, "I want to let you in on what I’m working on so you know I’m not just trying to fool you."

As he spoke, he pulled a thick stack of contracts from his briefcase.

"I imagine you’ve noticed," he said, taking a pair of silver-rimmed reading glasses from the inner pocket of his suit and putting them on, "that you’ve been a hot topic of discussion lately."

"Is that partly your doing?" Li Wei asked. "Otherwise, I’m just a high school student. I shouldn’t be able to make such big waves."

"You’re a sharp one, young man," John Mara said. "I had my people stir up the hype this time."

"Which side?" Li Wei couldn’t help but ask. "Don’t tell me it was the opposition?"

"Both sides, of course. That’s the only way to maximize the conflict," John Mara said with a smile. "Now, if you would please sit down, let’s discuss your contract in detail."

Li Wei glanced at Don Quixote, who was looking their way, a bit uneasily.

"Mr. Don Quixote Cervantes, please sit down and join our discussion," John Mara said. "If my sources are correct, you are his legal guardian?"

Don Quixote nodded.

"Then let’s have the three of us carefully discuss Mr. Li Wei’s contract," he said, opening the contract and looking it over. "Hmm... first, allow me to explain the salary structure for an NFL player to you both."

To have the owner of the New York Giants, the billionaire John Mara, personally explain his contract and salary—that was probably an honor no one else in the entire league could claim.

"First, let’s be clear," John Mara said. "We are offering Mr. Li Wei a massive contract. In terms of annual income, its ceiling is absolutely the highest in the entire NFL, with a maximum pre-tax income of 200 million USD over two years."

"Maximum," Li Wei said with a shrug. "Sounds like there are some harsh conditions attached."

"Don’t be so hasty," John Mara said with a grin. "I have absolute confidence in you."

He then proceeded to explain the NFL’s salary structure to Li Wei in detail.

It was a two-year plan with a total compensation plus bonus package of 200 million USD. However, the guaranteed salary was only 57 million USD, which included a 5 million USD signing bonus, a base salary of 35 million USD over two years, and 17 million USD in roster bonuses.

This was the portion of the money Li Wei would receive no matter what. In other words, as long as he stayed on the team, he would get 57 million USD over two years.

The remaining nearly 150 million USD was all allocated to team performance incentives and individual performance incentives.

The individual performance incentives alone could total up to 123 million USD over the two years, accounting for more than half of the contract. This was broken down into a maximum of 58 million USD in performance incentives in the first year and a maximum of 65 million USD in the second.

To make it easier for Li Wei and Don Quixote to visualize, John Mara thoughtfully took out a chart.

"While this two-year, 200 million USD contract certainly looks tempting," Li Wei said after a careful look, pointing to the large chunk that was the individual performance incentives, "isn’t it a bit unreasonable for such a large portion to be tied to performance incentives?"

"I can explain that," John Mara said. He subconsciously reached for the cigars in his inner pocket, but then remembered he was still undergoing chemotherapy and stopped. "Mr. Li Wei, let’s assume you’re a rookie NFL Quarterback, fresh out of the gate—and a number one draft pick at that. How much would you expect to make on average in your first two years?"

That question actually stumped Li Wei. He had previously only paid attention to top-tier Quarterback salaries, like the massive 10-year, 450 million USD contract the Kansas City Chiefs gave to Patrick Mahomes.

But he wasn’t clear on what the highest rookie Quarterback contract in history was.

He couldn’t help but turn to look at Don Quixote.

"Generally speaking," Don Quixote said after a moment of thought, his voice hoarse, "a rookie might get a five-year contract for 40-50 million USD. This year’s number one draft pick Quarterback got a four-year, 55 million USD deal, with 10 million the first year and 12.5 million the second."

"Very accurate. It seems you’ve followed the NFL closely, Mr. Don Quixote," John Mara said, glancing at Don Quixote. "If you went through the NFL draft normally, even as the number one pick, your first-year salary would most likely only be around 10 million USD, and that’s for everything combined."

He patiently explained, "The price I’m offering you now, just the base salary alone, on an annual basis, is already more than double what Mahomes makes—and he’s the best Quarterback in the league right now."

"Looking at it this way, it seems more like a gambling contract," Li Wei said after a closer look. "From what I can see, to get all of the individual performance incentives, I’d basically have to be the MVP of every single game."

There were requirements for playing time, passing yards, touchdown passes, turnover control, completion percentage, and so on.

"I have great confidence in you, son," John Mara said with a grin. "Since you’re trusting me, I’ll be straight with you."

"Your emergence doesn’t just mean we have a chance to break into the untapped Asian market and satisfy some policy initiatives from the Democratic Party now that they’re in power. More importantly," he said, pointing at Li Wei, "you will elevate the buzz around the NFL, and even the Giants, to a whole new level."