Bobhaze
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How many times has information been “leaked” from the Star that player X has been offered $___ in contract negotiations but according to the Cowboys, “turned it down”? We as fans need to stop falling for the old “We offered them $___ and they turned it down” leak that in reality is (according to Cowboys beat writers) coming from the Jones boys to sway public opinion and put pressure on the player. Most other NFL teams do this too btw.
Here’s the hidden truth about what holds up NFL contract negotiations: The “dollar amounts” are usually not the big divide. The devil is always in the details.
In fact, NFL contracts are very complex, usually broken in several chunks of payment and bonus options. To avoid making this post too long, here are some of the main elements of an NFL contract:
Here’s the hidden truth about what holds up NFL contract negotiations: The “dollar amounts” are usually not the big divide. The devil is always in the details.
In fact, NFL contracts are very complex, usually broken in several chunks of payment and bonus options. To avoid making this post too long, here are some of the main elements of an NFL contract:
- Base salary- This is the foundation of every player contract- players are paid their base salary in 17 payments (for the 16-game schedule and one bye week), one per week during the season. Base salary can be non-guaranteed or guaranteed depending on various clauses and conditions. This is the amount most often talked about- “He’s been offered $__million a year”, which usually means base salary. This does not include other payments or guarantees or bonuses. (And is often misleading)
- Guaranteed Money- One thing that is somewhat misunderstood is that not all guaranteed money is the same. There are several types of guaranteed money that teams can use when constructing a contract. Here are the most common:
- Injury Gurantee- This guarantee kicks in if a player is released but is unable to partake in football activities or pass a physical. If a player is released and this condition is met, the player is entitled to money that is protected against injury. If a player has guaranteed money for injury and they are healthy, then the money guaranteed for injury is lost when the player is cut.
- Cap guarantee- this will protect a player from being released so the team can get under the cap, sign a free agent, or re-sign another player. A player with this guarantee cannot be cut as a money savings move.
- There are other types of guarantees too complex for me to describe.
- Length of contract- supposedly a sticking point in the 2020 Dak negotiations because allegedly the team wanted a 5 year deal and Dak wanted a 4 year deal. This is actually becoming a more common sticking point for all players, especially those under 28 (like Dak) who figure to have more than one contract in their careers.
- Signing, roster and workout bonuses- these parts are fairly self explanatory. But they are often parts of hard negotiations by both sides, the details of which most fans never know about.
