Chase Daniel has made a ton of money for doing very little
By Matt Conner
We want to tip the ole money-making hat to veteran quarterback Chase Daniel for his ability to make so much money while having to do so little.
Chase Daniel has things figured out.
Let’s decide for this moment to set aside the news that Chase Daniel just signed a new three-year contract with the Detroit Lions worth over $13 million if he plays it out. Let’s instead focus on the over $34 million he’s already earned to date as a quarterback in the National Football League. For a couple quarterbacks atop the NFL’s pecking order, that’s considered a year’s pay, but for Daniel’s purposes, that’s a ton of money.
What’s drawn our attention Daniel’s way this offseason is that with his new contract, Daniel is set up to bring in approximately $50 million in his NFL career. To date, however, Daniel has attempted only 218 total passes with 7 touchdowns and 5 interceptions to show for his 10-year career.
In case you’re struggling with proportions, you should know that Daniel’s very limited amount of experience is overwhelmed by his cash haul in that time. Daniel’s is in the NFL’s perfect position of being good enough at quarterback to stay employed for as long as he’s interested yet not good enough to be handed a starting role (without some sort of mitigating circumstance).
Last year, the Lions backup quarterback David Blough attempted 174 passes in five starts. Just five. With another game, he could have matched (or at least landed near) Daniel’s total in 10 years. What’s even more amazing was that Daniel’s total attempts stood at 78 in his career through the 2017 season. Only in recent years has been called upon even more frequently to at least offset the proportions here from being too ridiculous.
Daniel earned several million of that career total during his tenure with the Kansas City Chiefs, a three-year stint in which he attempted 68 passes total. Before landing in K.C., Daniel averaged a scant 3 passing attempts with the New Orleans Saints. He also attempted one pass total in between yearly placements with the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles.
While most quarterbacks, maybe even Daniel included, would complain about the lack of opportunities citing their competitive drive, Daniel has also avoided the hits that could make his future miserable. In his career, he’s taken a total of 23 sacks. That’s two less sacks than Marcus Mariota withstood in only 7 games in 2019.
Certainly the Lions see something in Daniel that makes them want to store him for the future, but if Daniel’s career arc continues, he’s likely to see minimal playing time for several more millions in his bank account. Daniels is going to enjoy strong health and the memories and camaraderie of a long NFL career while also cashing close to $50 million in checks from NFL owners. That’s likely not what he envisioned when he first set out to play in the NFL, but few players have ever earned more by doing less along the way.