Jamaal Charles' Contract Numbers Reportedly Aren't As Advertised

On Monday we heard Nick Wright of 610 Sports say the deal RB Jamaal Charles signed -- reported to be 5 years, $32.5 million with $13 million guaranteed -- was very good for the Chiefs. Looking at other contracts across the league, Wright suggested Charles could have demanded more.

The deal may be even better for the Chiefs, according to Pro Football Talk, who reports the "real" numbers on Charles' deal.

Per a league source, the reported guarantee of $13 million is actually $8 million, in the form of a roster bonus paid upon (or not long after) execution of the deal. There’s another $2 million in injury guarantees only.

Also, the reported value of $32.5 million over five years (an average of $6.5 million) is the maximum package, with all incentives reached. The base package has an annual value closer to $5.5 million.

I'm not a salary capologist -- and I don't have the "real" numbers on all the other contracts different running backs signed -- so I'd by lying if I said I knew whether this was a good deal or not.

But I do see the positives for both sides.

Assuming the labor deal gets worked out in the fashion many league insiders think it will, the Chiefs likely would have been able to sit on Charles' rights next year (and potentially another year) via a restricted free agent tender. That would have kept him away from a pay day for another year. Doing the deal now gives Charles an immediate financial guarantee (via the reported $8 million roster bonus) and it also means he'll be 29 years old when the deal is up potentially putting him in line for another pay day.

For the Chiefs, they commit a reasonable amount of money to a guy while leaving open the door for another contract down the line therefore keeping him motivated to play.

I like the deal for the Chiefs because, ultimately what we care about as Chiefs fans, is that Charles will be in red for a few more years.