Why we do we report the non-guaranteed NFL salary numbers?

Let me first say that I’m not an NFL expert. Living in the Los Angeles area for most of my life, I’ve never really had a team to root for out here, so it’s hard for me to follow the NFL as loyally as I follow baseball, college football/basketball, and the NBA.

That being said, I do know that NFL contracts aren’t guaranteed, and it’s much easier to cut players in the NFL than it is in the MLB or the NBA. So when players sign big contracts, only part of it is guaranteed — yet the media always reports the bigger number first in the headlines, not the guaranteed number. The latest example is the Detroit Lions signing Calvin Johnson. ESPN’s bottom line, along with ESPN.com’s headline, says he signed for $64 million. But only $27 million is guaranteed. Really, what are the odds that Johnson gets all $64 million of that deal?

And if I’m wrong here, someone, please either write a comment here or e-mail me.