The first four seasons of Buffalo Bills quarterback EJ Manuel's NFL career have not gone according to plan, but a business decision the former first-round draft pick made in 2014 looks to have paid off.
Almost three years ago, Manuel signed a "brand contract" with Fantex, Inc., a startup firm that sought to capitalize on professional athletes' earnings. Manuel received $4.9 million from Fantex in exchange for 10 percent of his future football-related income. That valuation of Manuel was based on expected total career income of $104 million discounted to $49 million to account for the risk.