These are the NFL’s 10 worst current contracts

3. NFL’s worst contracts: DE Trey Flowers (5 years, $90 million with $56 million guaranteed)

The last former Patriot on this list, Flowers looked like an ascending star when he left New England after the 2018 campaign. A move to Detroit, where Flowers reunited with former Patriots’ defensive coordinator Matt Patricia, looked like a smooth transition for him.

Flowers’ production dipped in his first year, seeing his sack totals and quarterback hits decline from the previous year. That is not a good trend for a player supposedly entering his prime and points to Flowers being a product of the New England system, which surrounded him with more talented teammates.

The fact that Patricia might not survive this season isn’t good for this deal since Flowers is likely to be best utilized in the current defense. The Lions also loaded the deal with a ton of guaranteed money that will be hard to escape from without a severe financial penalty.

The earliest out that Detroit has is in 2022, when they can save $11 million but would absorb another $12 million in dead money. If Flowers doesn’t pick up his production this year the deal will become an anchor for Detroit’s front office for years to come.