There Will Be a Half Billion Dollars In Talent on the Field in Tonight’s Vikings-Rams Game

If this NFL season was a game of Texas Hold ‘Em, the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings would be all in.

After making the playoffs last season, both teams spent like drunken sailors in the offseason and handed out contracts, with tons of guaranteed cash, like it was going out of style.

The end result of that is when the teams face off tonight on Thursday Night Football, there will be $448,269,294 worth of NFL talent on the field.

For Minnesota, free-agent signing Kirk Cousins is their highest-priced asset after he signed a fully guaranteed $84 million contract to bring his quarterbacking skills to the Vikes. The Vikings also spent big to keep defensive end Danielle Hunter and receiver Stefon Diggs in town

For Los Angeles, it looked like the four-year, $60 million contract ($45 million guaranteed) running back Todd Gurley inked during training camp would be their biggest signing, but that was not to be.

Los Angles also spent big on defensive tackle Aaron Donald to end his holdout and brought him in on a six-year extension worth $135 million ($87 million guaranteed).

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh (one year, $14 million) and wide receiver Brandin Cooks (five years, $81 million, $50.5 million guaranteed) also got good chunks of change to play in LA.

Money doesn’t win championships, but it is going to win one of these teams tonight’s game.

Meet your guide

Evan Bleier

Evan is a senior editor with InsideHook who earned a master’s degree in journalism from NYU and has called Brooklyn home since 2006. A fan of Boston sports, Nashville hot chicken and Kentucky bourbon, Evan has had his work published in publications including “Maxim,” Bleacher Report and “The Daily Mail.”