Who is the most overpaid athlete

Click here to see the most overpaid athletes in sports. Click here to see the methodology. Skip to content. Special Report. Most Overpaid Athletes in Pro Sports. Grant Suneson. The endorsement climate has dried up for many athletes, with companies watching their spending following the uncertainty of the past year. But global stars like Osaka and LeBron James continue to be in high demand. Osaka landed a bevy of new partners, while James signed a long-term deal with PepsiCo this year to help the company launch its new Mtn Dew Rise Energy drink.

The boxing world has been bereft of big fights, due to restrictions on fan gatherings, challenging the economic model without gate revenue. The boxers should be back in force next year as Anthony Joshua, Deontay Wilder, Tyson Fury and Manny Pacquiao are all likely headed into the ring in the coming months.

Nascent boxer and YouTuber Jake Paul is another name to watch after the controversial star signed with Showtime this month. NFL Rules. The NFL is the richest sports league in the world, and 32 players cracked the top , more than any other sport. McGregor and Alvarez are the lone reps from mixed martial arts and boxing, respectively. Kohli has racked up million Instagram followers, more than any athlete on the planet outside of Ronaldo, Messi and Neymar.

The heavy dose of football and basketball players in the highest earners means 67 Americans made the cut, although nearly half the top 20 was born outside the U. Spain, France, England, Japan, Brazil, Belgium and Argentina were the only other countries to land multiple athletes on the list. Creative Artists Agency landed 12 clients in the top , fueled by its basketball and football business, while WME and its IMG sister agency handle marketing or media deals for 11 athletes.

The star-studded Brooklyn Nets were the only sports team with four players represented. Our estimates are based on money earned between June and May The salary and prize money are inclusive of all bonuses paid during that time, from signings, incentives, playoffs and All-Star games.

Losing out on the bidding wars for free agents Ray Allen and Michael Redd, the Cleveland Cavaliers were desperate to find a guard to support young superstar LeBron James. Hughes was not popular with fans, and he even had a fairly popular website named after him: Heylarryhughespleasestoptakingsomanybadshots.

In fact, after a couple of good seasons, the Montreal Canadiens decided to trade for Gomez, hoping his addition would help the team become competitive. Unfortunately, things did not work out too well. Even Gilbert Arenas himself admits that the Washington Wizards probably paid him a bit more than he was able to deliver. When the quarterback went down with a season-ending injury in the first week of the season, Cassel came to the rescue for New England and earned himself a massive payday at the end of the season.

He may be a true legend of the Philadelphia Phillies, but the way he went out with the team will always be a mark on the career of first baseman Ryan Howard. By , the first baseman was batting. Sure, the big man went through a couple of down years prior to his signing, but nothing too crazy. As it turned out, the Sonics were wrong. In , Seattle traded him to Boston, where his struggles with alcoholism came to light. To make matters worse, the cornerback would immediately sign with the Washington Redskins and become a star player for years to come.

The Colorado Rockies have struggled to find competent pitching for most of their existence. So when a two-time All-Star in Denny Neagle became available in free agency, the team pounced. But Neagle was eventually caught soliciting a prostitute, arrested for DUI, and mentioned in the Mitchell Report involving steroids. But unfortunately, all good things come to an end.

To date, he has suited up for just 32 games since the end of the season and has had surgeries on his knee, ankle, and Achilles tendon. Needless to say, it was a terrible trade. Still fresh in the minds of New York Yankees fans, the Jacoby Ellsbury contract was an obvious misfire.

Ellsbury never really lived up to the hype that surrounded him in Boston. During his six years with the Yankees, the outfielder hit. The Charlotte Hornets have handed out plenty of bad contracts, but this one is hard to defend.

Since signing his massive extension, Batum has not only seen the quality of his play decrease, but he has also struggled to stay on the court. The Washington Redskins are no strangers to a bad signing.

Archuleta only lasted a single season in Washington, recording zero interceptions, one pass deflection, and a single sack. He only made seven starts before falling down the depth chart, despite being the highest-paid safety in the entire NFL. By March, he was shipped off to the Chicago Bears for a sixth-round pick. Despite the fact that his career seemed to be going downhill, Wade Redden was apparently a hot commodity in the NHL.

It was an immediately regrettable decision. New York waived Redden to its minor league affiliate to create cap space, making him the highest-paid player in the history of the AHL. Connect with us. Dilip Vishwanat via Getty Images.