Why the NFL has more holdouts than any other pro league

Bobhaze

Bobhaze

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Holdouts by players seeking a better contracts have driven fans crazy for years. The first one I remember as a fan was my first favorite Cowboy- Bob Hayes’ holdout in 1970 when the future HOFer was asking to be paid an annual salary of $40k to become one of the highest paid WRs in the league! Lol!

Here’s something to remember about the NFL: It’s the only one of the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) to not have guaranteed player contracts. The owners’ powerful “NFL Management Council” which negotiates the CBA with the NFL Players Association, has long negotiated labor agreements that do not allow players guaranteed contracts. NFL players have the least amount of financial security.

This is why so many more “holdouts” happen in the NFL as opposed to other sports leagues. Here are some other reasons for so many NFL player holdouts:
  • NFL contracts do have some “guaranteed money” but it’s usually tied up in the bonus. After that “guarantee”, teams can cut a player at any time as opposed the other leagues where players have fully guaranteed contracts.
  • NFL players’ careers are shorter on average, and have a much higher risk for injury. To have a higher risk for injury coupled with no guaranteed contracts make NFL players far less financially secure.
  • NFL owners make exponentially more money than other leagues’ owners. The NFL’s net profits that go straight to the owners has approached $20 billion in recent years while NFL players share much less of the financial pie than other leagues’ players, yet have the most risk to their health.
  • NFL players have had the least attractive health insurance and retirement packages than the other leagues.
  • Zeke is of course under contract, but he’s also nearing a crossroads for his financial future. Going into this season, he probably has more leverage than he’s ever had. (The Cowboys don’t exactly have a solid backup behind Zeke currently)
Look, I’m not a big fan of player holdouts, especially when they have the time left on their contracts like Zeke does. But until the owners start being less cut throat about how contracts are done, we are going to continue seeing these type of situations with players like Zeke.

Holdouts suck. But IMO, the owners have the greatest responsibility in causing them and have the greatest opportunity in the next CBA to rectify this problem.
 
Bobhaze said:
Holdouts by players seeking a better contracts have driven fans crazy for years. The first one I remember as a fan was my first favorite Cowboy- Bob Hayes’ holdout in 1970 when the future HOFer was asking to be paid an annual salary of $40k to become one of the highest paid WRs in the league! Lol!

Here’s something to remember about the NFL: It’s the only one of the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) to not have guaranteed player contracts. The owners’ powerful “NFL Management Council” which negotiates the CBA with the NFL Players Association, has long negotiated labor agreements that do not allow players guaranteed contracts. NFL players have the least amount of financial security.

This is why so many more “holdouts” happen in the NFL as opposed to other sports leagues. Here are some other reasons for so many NFL player holdouts:
  • NFL contracts do have some “guaranteed money” but it’s usually tied up in the bonus. After that “guarantee”, teams can cut a player at any time as opposed the other leagues where players have fully guaranteed contracts.
  • NFL players’ careers are shorter on average, and have a much higher risk for injury. To have a higher risk for injury coupled with no guaranteed contracts make NFL players far less financially secure.
  • NFL owners make exponentially more money than other leagues’ owners. The NFL’s net profits that go straight to the owners has approached $20 billion in recent years while NFL players share much less of the financial pie than other leagues’ players, yet have the most risk to their health.
  • NFL players have had the least attractive health insurance and retirement packages than the other leagues.
  • Zeke is of course under contract, but he’s also nearing a crossroads for his financial future. Going into this season, he probably has more leverage than he’s ever had. (The Cowboys don’t exactly have a solid backup behind Zeke currently)
Look, I’m not a big fan of player holdouts, especially when they have the time left on their contracts like Zeke does. But until the owners start being less cut throat about how contracts are done, we are going to continue seeing these type of situations with players like Zeke.

Holdouts suck. But IMO, the owners have the greatest responsibility in causing them and have the greatest opportunity in the next CBA to rectify this problem.
Click to expand...
Good post. I hate it too. I don't blame Zeke one bit. Dallas would play hardball if he didn't do anything. They could franchise him in 2021/2022. He would be 27/28 when he hit the open market. Get your money while you can. What I don't like in other sports is guys like Russell Westbrook demanding a trade with all these years left on their current deal. Don't want to live/play in Oklahoma City? Fine. But don't sign a long term deal.
 
actually, NFL players get a higher percentage of revenue than players in the other leagues.

guaranteed salaries are an albatross around the necks of teams in those leagues, just as guaranteed money in the NFL is.

(and, ironically, high guaranteed money amounts make it more likely that a player will be deemed "not worth it" by their team. in other words, it is probably in the long-term interest of a player to accept a bit less in the contract, but to see every dollar of that contract, than to get a higher contract and be cut for it being excessive.)

one way to balance the scales would be to require that a team cutting a player before his contract is over, have to pay that player a portion of the unfulfilled contract. the portion could be determined by how many years of the contract had already been fulfilled, or some other agreed-upon metric.
 
There will come a time when Positions have a cap.. its already without limitations in place.
We already understand that QBs will get the biggest contracts, be paid the most.
The other positions need to fall in line, but the dirty bird in the bag is that this game will eventually self destruct.
Enjoy it while it lasts, especially the young fans of this game, us old guys had the benefit of enjoying this game when it was true gladiator sport.
Now it is a game of who can get the next bank breaking contract ironed out.. its sad, its a shame,, this game has been eroded by money, contracts, and fat agents.
I will watch this game diminish each and every year until it implodes on itself and turns back to square one.
That's what I really believe will eventually happen,, the day that huge markets can dominate the game, the cap , there will be no cap eventually.
There will be dynasties once again, history repeats itself, and this over exploitation of getting payed first is speeding the process up.
 
Bobhaze said:
Holdouts by players seeking a better contracts have driven fans crazy for years. The first one I remember as a fan was my first favorite Cowboy- Bob Hayes’ holdout in 1970 when the future HOFer was asking to be paid an annual salary of $40k to become one of the highest paid WRs in the league! Lol!

Here’s something to remember about the NFL: It’s the only one of the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) to not have guaranteed player contracts. The owners’ powerful “NFL Management Council” which negotiates the CBA with the NFL Players Association, has long negotiated labor agreements that do not allow players guaranteed contracts. NFL players have the least amount of financial security.

This is why so many more “holdouts” happen in the NFL as opposed to other sports leagues. Here are some other reasons for so many NFL player holdouts:
  • NFL contracts do have some “guaranteed money” but it’s usually tied up in the bonus. After that “guarantee”, teams can cut a player at any time as opposed the other leagues where players have fully guaranteed contracts.
  • NFL players’ careers are shorter on average, and have a much higher risk for injury. To have a higher risk for injury coupled with no guaranteed contracts make NFL players far less financially secure.
  • NFL owners make exponentially more money than other leagues’ owners. The NFL’s net profits that go straight to the owners has approached $20 billion in recent years while NFL players share much less of the financial pie than other leagues’ players, yet have the most risk to their health.
  • NFL players have had the least attractive health insurance and retirement packages than the other leagues.
  • Zeke is of course under contract, but he’s also nearing a crossroads for his financial future. Going into this season, he probably has more leverage than he’s ever had. (The Cowboys don’t exactly have a solid backup behind Zeke currently)
Look, I’m not a big fan of player holdouts, especially when they have the time left on their contracts like Zeke does. But until the owners start being less cut throat about how contracts are done, we are going to continue seeing these type of situations with players like Zeke.

Holdouts suck. But IMO, the owners have the greatest responsibility in causing them and have the greatest opportunity in the next CBA to rectify this problem.
Click to expand...

What would be more fair, but never happen, would be to make contracts guaranteed, but exempt the contract from injury if the player became injured. In other words the player would still get the money, but that money would not count against the cap if it was a bona fide injury issue.

Too many teams are out of the running early on based on injuries to key players early in the season. It would also help all teams stay competitive even if they suffered a key injury early in camp.

It would also help replacement players get paid fairly if signed later in the year when coming in for an injured player. But it would hurt profits, so that would never happen.
 
Streetwise said:
The average NFL career is something like under 4 seasons, so I don't blame a player for trying to get all they can. They're the ones with the talent. We're just fans.
Click to expand...
Back in Oct 2018, several HOF players led by Jim Brown and Eric Dickerson wrote a letter to NFL owners about current and past players’ need for better healthcare benefits. Studies have shown NFL players don’t live as long as the rest of the population. The owners would have nothing without the players. Seems fair to take care of those who made the game so profitable for the owners to have decent benefits after playing.
 
Bobhaze said:
Back in Oct 2018, several HOF players led by Jim Brown and Eric Dickerson wrote a letter to NFL owners about current and past players’ need for better healthcare benefits. Studies have shown NFL players don’t live as long as the rest of the population. The owners would have nothing without the players. Seems fair to take care of those who made the game so profitable for the owners to have decent benefits after playing.
Click to expand...

Pure greed without a concern for ensuring the on the field game is improving is what the owners are about. Jerry has been the ring leader for maximizing owners profits at the expense of the well being of the game and its players. Greed and maximuzing owners profits is the only reason Jerry has a gold jacket.
 
answer to the OP...because the CBA and NFL leadership has been poor. Not only should there be a rookie slotted scale like we have in place, but we should have s scale for vets as well..at very least...parameters by which all parties involved cannot exceed on a contract. Like the rookie scale. Its set in stone pretty much. Until the NFL AND PLAYERS agree on something like that in the next CBA, this is gonna continue. I do think the salary cap should be higher than it is..if that gets set in stone for a period not to exceed say, 4 years...I think you would see free agency work much better and would have less holdouts. Right now its a murky situation. ARE YOU LISTENING GOODELL?
 
I also can see this game in decline. I don't speak for everyone but no way I am letting my kids get their brains wrecked using them as battling rams.
I remember watching a night game not long ago where for the first time in my 40+ years I felt wrong watching it. It was the game where the Steelers and Bengals were taking head shots on each other all game.....not sure but may be the game the man became paralyzed, LB.

The modern day athletes seem to have a mentality that is uncomfortable to watch. I love good hits ect but each time I watch someone get their bell rung it triggers something in my soul that just makes this form on entertainment feel wrong. It's hard to watch people intentional injure others brains.

I may be the exception but almost everyone I know with small kids won't allow their children play tackle football.
 
JPostSam said:
actually, NFL players get a higher percentage of revenue than players in the other leagues.

guaranteed salaries are an albatross around the necks of teams in those leagues, just as guaranteed money in the NFL is.

(and, ironically, high guaranteed money amounts make it more likely that a player will be deemed "not worth it" by their team. in other words, it is probably in the long-term interest of a player to accept a bit less in the contract, but to see every dollar of that contract, than to get a higher contract and be cut for it being excessive.)

one way to balance the scales would be to require that a team cutting a player before his contract is over, have to pay that player a portion of the unfulfilled contract. the portion could be determined by how many years of the contract had already been fulfilled, or some other agreed-upon metric.
Click to expand...

Are you talking collectively, due to the 53 man rosters? Because I can’t imagine anyway this is remotely true when you have basketball and baseball players signing multiple hundreds of million dollar deals
 
superonyx said:
I also can see this game in decline. I don't speak for everyone but no way I am letting my kids get their brains wrecked using them as battling rams.
I remember watching a night game not long ago where for the first time in my 40+ years I felt wrong watching it. It was the game where the Steelers and Bengals were taking head shots on each other all game.....not sure but may be the game the man became paralyzed, LB.

The modern day athletes seem to have a mentality that is uncomfortable to watch. I love good hits ect but each time I watch someone get their bell rung it triggers something in my soul that just makes this form on entertainment feel wrong. It's hard to watch people intentional injure others brains.

I may be the exception but almost everyone I know with small kids won't allow their children play tackle football.
Click to expand...
great point super. My son who now is finishing up basic training in the Army, was concussed 2 times in a year span..both happened IN PRACTICE. That second one was very hard for the wife and I to cope with. It was awful.Took him 2 months to recover. We all made a decision at that point to not let him play again. He was too bright to bash his brains in...so he went for plan B...the Army. Straight A student and now uses his head for something other than a whipping post. Best decision he ever made.Proud of him.
 
Bobhaze said:
Here’s something to remember about the NFL: It’s the only one of the four major sports leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) to not have guaranteed player contracts.
Click to expand...

That's it, right there. If teams honored contracts it wouldn't be an issue, but they don't. They cut guys every year who are under contract, freeing themselves from the obligation of paying what they agreed to when they signed it.

Yet I'm supposed to be mad at a player for using leverage when he has it, to get more guaranteed money? I don't think so.
 
What the NFL does isn’t unlike what other sports leagues do where a portion of the contract is guaranteed and then the team may have an option for additional years. Just because the NFL doesn’t call it an option doesn’t mean that’s not what it is.

Baseball actually has some options that are mutual team/player options where either side can opt out at some point, and some contacts have player options. That’s what NFL players are missing out on.

But let’s also remember the NFL doesn’t have a 162 game schedule like baseball to make money from, not can they run players back and forth between minor leagues and take advantage of a number of players at or near league minimum.
 
OmerV said:
What the NFL does isn’t unlike what other sports leagues do where a portion of the contract is guaranteed and then the team may have an option for additional years. Just because the NFL doesn’t call it an option doesn’t mean that’s not what it is.

Baseball actually has some options that are mutual team/player options where either side can opt out at some point, and some contacts have player options.
Click to expand...

not really the same thing at all.
 
Rayman70 said:
answer to the OP...because the CBA and NFL leadership has been poor. Not only should there be a rookie slotted scale like we have in place, but we should have s scale for vets as well..at very least...parameters by which all parties involved cannot exceed on a contract. Like the rookie scale. Its set in stone pretty much. Until the NFL AND PLAYERS agree on something like that in the next CBA, this is gonna continue. I do think the salary cap should be higher than it is..if that gets set in stone for a period not to exceed say, 4 years...I think you would see free agency work much better and would have less holdouts. Right now its a murky situation. ARE YOU LISTENING GOODELL?
Click to expand...
Goodell is the enforcer. He doesn't make policy. He's nothing more than an ax man.
 
superonyx said:
I also can see this game in decline. I don't speak for everyone but no way I am letting my kids get their brains wrecked using them as battling rams.
I remember watching a night game not long ago where for the first time in my 40+ years I felt wrong watching it. It was the game where the Steelers and Bengals were taking head shots on each other all game.....not sure but may be the game the man became paralyzed, LB.

The modern day athletes seem to have a mentality that is uncomfortable to watch. I love good hits ect but each time I watch someone get their bell rung it triggers something in my soul that just makes this form on entertainment feel wrong. It's hard to watch people intentional injure others brains.

I may be the exception but almost everyone I know with small kids won't allow their children play tackle football.
Click to expand...

That and the growth of soccer, along with changing demographics, will eventually lead to a decline in American football. The NBA's popularity continues to grow with younger generations as well.

There will come a day when basketball and soccer are the top sports, with football and baseball behind them. It won't be tomorrow and I may not live to see it, but it will come.
 
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