Tension rises with every turnover, anxiety sets in with each shrug and downright hysteria descends as the Chicago Bears' fan base concludes there is no way out of the cycle anytime soon.

Quarterback Jay Cutler's contract, extended in January, would require a cash payout of at least $10 million and as much as $26.5 million if he is released before the 2016 season, depending on the timing. The Bears' history of what we'll politely call "financial efficiency" makes them an unlikely candidate to pay Cutler eight figures on his way out. A trade would shift financial responsibility to the new team, but in truth, the contract could dissuade offers.

Cutler's contract is among a handful of NFL deals with significant influence over personnel decisions. It's a rarity for a league that retains deep leverage over most players, one where teams almost always dictate the timing of departure. The Bears could handle the salary-cap hit associated with a Cutler divorce, but the cash owed remains a powerful disincentive to part ways regardless of their assessment of his play.

Let's take a closer look at the terms of Cutler's contract, the most notable of six deals we'll consider in this light. They're ranked roughly in terms of the influence they hold on team decision-making. (All contract numbers courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information.)

1. Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler

Full deal: Seven years, $126 million through 2020

Relevant terms: Cutler is earning an NFL-high $22.5 million this year and his $15.5 million salary in 2015 is fully guaranteed. If he is on the roster on the third day of the 2015 league year, which begins in March 2015, $10 million of his 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed. The remaining $6 million of his 2016 salary becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2016 league year (March 2016).

Analysis: If the Bears wanted to release Cutler after this season, they would have to pay him $15.5 million in cash. Assuming he returns for 2015, they would owe $10 million in cash if they wanted to cut him before the 2016 season. That's why most analysts consider it a rock-solid three-year commitment. Those cash commitments would transfer in a trade, but it's fair to ask if anyone would take them on if the situation deteriorates to that point. The deal is smart from a cap perspective -- the Bears would actually save $14 million in cap space if they release Cutler in 2016 -- but this is one case where the cash owed carries direct influence. Would any general manager ask his owner to spend at least $10 million to make a personnel mistake go away?

2. Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh

Full deal: Five years, $63 million through 2014

Relevant terms: Suh's 2014 salary-cap figure is $22.4 million after several renegotiations to alleviate previous cap crunches. The deal expires after this season and, according to the NFL's collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the franchise tag value to retain Suh in 2015 would be about $27 million (120 percent of the previous cap figure).

Analysis: The CBA quirk all but eliminates the franchise tag as an option for bringing back Suh in 2015. Even so, the franchise tag value traditionally serves as a baseline for negotiations with elite players. At the moment, the league's highest-paid defensive tackle is Gerald McCoy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who received a balloon 2014 salary of $20.3 million in exchange for signing a long-term deal that averages $13.6 million over seven years. Even if Suh came down 50 percent from his franchise value, he would still come in well ahead of McCoy's precedent-setting deal -- and there is no indication he is prepared to offer the Lions a huge discount. These complications tie the Lions' hands, especially considering the elite contracts of quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson. In the end, barring a Suh discount, the Lions will have to pay him far greater than his open-market value or else allow him to test unrestricted free agency.

3. Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco

Full deal: Six years, $120.6 million through 2018

Relevant terms: Flacco's cap figures are reasonable in 2014 ($14.8 million) and 2015 ($14.55 million), but then jump dramatically in 2016 ($28.55 million) and thereafter.

Analysis: In reality, Flacco leveraged the Ravens' Super Bowl victory in 2013 into what likely will be two paydays in a three- or four-year period. It's conceivable that the Ravens could carry a $28.55 million cap number in 2016, but it's more likely they'll need to extend his deal again either at that point or certainly by 2017, when his cap charge will be $31.5 million. Here's the catch: If the Ravens wanted to cut Flacco in 2016, he would consume $25.85 million in dead money against their cap that season. The end result is that to maintain cap health, the Ravens likely can't cut Flacco in 2016 or sit on his current deal. They'll have to give Flacco more upfront money -- and possibly an overall raise as well -- whether or not his play merits it.

4. Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson

Full deal: Seven years, $113.45 million through 2019

Relevant terms: Johnson's cap number rises from $13.058 million this year to $20.558 million in 2015 and $24.088 million in 2016.

Analysis: The urgency of Johnson's contract situation depends on whether Suh re-signs. Squeezing Suh, Stafford (cap numbers between $17.7 million and $22 million during 2015-17) and Johnson into a long-term cap plan would be a challenge. Johnson will turn 30 during the 2015 season, and he has been increasingly hampered by leg injuries as opponents tackle low on his long frame. Recent history suggests that receivers can maintain elite production well into their 30s, as we discussed last spring, but the Lions could have a complicated decision to make by the time the 2016 season arrives. The ideal scenario is always to keep intact a long-term contract, but the cap jump could make that difficult by 2016. Not coincidentally, that is the first year the Lions could release Johnson and save money ($11.173 million) against the cap.

5. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo

Full deal: Six years, $108 million through 2019

Relevant terms: Cap number jumps to $27.8 million in 2015

Analysis: Unless the Cowboys want to carry that sky-high cap charge next season, they'll either need to restructure the deal or extend it. The latter seems highly unlikely given Romo's age (34) and two-year battle with back injuries, so the Cowboys will have to push more of his cap space into future years and thus continue a cycle of adding to the eventual charge they'll face to part ways. Already, the deal has prevented owner Jerry Jones from planning for the post-Romo era, most notably by passing on quarterback Johnny Manziel in the draft. While Jones has been universally praised for the decision, it's worth noting that there is precedent for drafting an heir for an established starter in his mid-30s. Brett Favre was 35 in April 2005, when the Green Bay Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers.

6. Arizona Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald

Full deal: Seven years, $113 million through 2018

Relevant terms: Fitzgerald has an $8 million roster bonus due in 2015, along with a cap number of $23.6 million and total cash compensation of $16.25 million.

Analysis: Fitzgerald is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2011 and almost certainly has a number of productive seasons remaining in his career. But his elite-level contract makes him vulnerable at age 31 and in the presence of young Cardinals receivers Michael Floyd and John Brown. The 2015 offseason will be the first time the Cardinals could save cap space ($9.2 million) by releasing Fitzgerald. It's possible he would agree to a pay cut or a restructure, and in truth he could help the Cardinals for years to come. But his contract is an obstacle that seems likely to force a move that otherwise wouldn't be contemplated.