While Kevin Kolb remains the king of unfulfilled NFL contracts, Matt Flynn is at least the crown prince.
After a franchise-record 480 yards passing in Week 17 of the 2011 NFL season, when the Packers were resting Aaron Rodgers, Flynn has earned $14.5 million in guaranteed money, for close to nothing in return.
It started last year, with a contract from the Seahawks that paid a $6 million signing bonus and a $2 million fully-guaranteed base salary in 2012.
As originally drafted, the deal also contained incentives for making it to the Pro Bowl -- and for being named NFL MVP.
One year and $8 million later, the Seahawks traded Flynn to the Raiders, who increased the remaining $2 million in guaranteed base salary to $6.5 million, via a $3.25 million signing bonus and a $3.25 million fully-guaranteed base salary for 2013.
The Pro Bowl and NFL MVP incentives remained.
While the $2.29 million in guaranteed base salary has offset language, which means the Raiders will get credit for anything Flynn earns elsewhere, the decision to cut the cord on Flynn represents an admission that the Raiders blew it by sending a fifth-round pick to Seattle for Flynn, and in turn by giving him an extra $4.5 million in guaranteed money this year.
We all should have seen the move coming, once the Raiders dropped Flynn from No. 2 to No. 3 on the depth chart. The next move that could be coming is a return by Flynn to Green Bay, where he would go back to being the backup to Aaron Rodgers -- but only with a lot more cash in the bank than he had the last time.
