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David Goldman/Associated Press

Like contracts in any sport, the cash doled out to NFL players can be eyebrow-raising.

Quarterbacks, of course, pepper the top of the lists no matter which way one wants to sort them. It's an arms race with no end in sight as one QB contract one-ups the next.

But contracts—quarterbacks or otherwise—are often a reflection of a team's situation. It's why someone like Brock Osweiler cashed in on a $72 million deal or a guy like Mike Glennon got $45 million over three years.

There are countless ways to skin the cat contract-wise, which agents and teams use as a way to boast about new purchases or extensions. So while technically Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr heads into 2017 as the highest-paid player based on average yearly salary, that's only one way to view the hierarchy.

Comparatively speaking, the same applies to other sports—but often with bigger total numbers and more in the way of guarantees.

Over in the NBA, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors sits on the biggest max contract, coming in at roughly $201 million over five years. Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins comes in at $325 million over 13 years. Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals leads the way in the NHL at $124 million, also over 13 seasons.

Below, let's outline the top contracts by how much they're costing their teams in 2017 via the metrics at Spotrac.