Yeah, lots of players contracts, especially guys on bigger ones have protections like that so they aren't cut early. Aaron Rodgers contract is a mess for the Jets...
But then... In that same breath they have guys like Haason Reddick and D.J. Reed who make over 20 million per year each, and if cut only count to about 5 million. Both will be easy cuts next years for the Jets, where in the NHL that's a rough buyout at the least or another year stuck.
It's just much easier to get good and go from being good too bad in the NFL vs NHL. NFL/NBA you can get good quick, MLB/NHL take a minute and the MLS... whatever, who knows. I know more about volleyball, golf and bowling than soccer.
*Watson wasn't a good example dude, lol, he's literally got a historic fully guaranteed contract pretty much all owners in the league were pissed about.