dead money
n.— «Feeley was scheduled to make $2.4 million in contractual salary from the Eagles in 2009 if he made the roster. If he were to be released prior to the season opener, he would receive a $1 million buyout in what is known as “dead money” in the NFL.» —“Ex-Eagle QB’s For Sale….and how much money is an NFL job worth?” by Thomas Jackson Most Valuable Network: Eagles Eye Sept. 7, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...
She sells seashells by the seashore. Who is the she in this tongue twister? Some claim it’s the young Mary Anning, who went on to become a famous 19th-century British paleontologist. Dubious perhaps, but the story of her rise from seaside...
dead money is also used in poker as “lost money”