SI, Andrew Brandt: Elite QBs should not take less money to help their team

[Hawkeye0202]

Interesting read since we have Dak's extension around the corner



Read more: https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/05/17/nfl-business-football-explaining-salary-cap

Separating Fact From Fiction Over How the NFL Salary Cap Works​

Andrew Brandt puts on his professor hat to clear up some myths about cash vs. cap, stars taking less money to help the team and more.

• ANDREW BRANDT
• 10 HOURS AGO

Myth No. 2: Elite players should take less to “help the team win”

No.

Less cap? Sure. Less cash? No.

If top players, especially quarterbacks, want to facilitate the signing of other important players on the team—we can debate whether that is their role, but even if we allow for it—there is a way they can easily do that, and hundreds of players have. They can simply do a cap restructure of their contracts: converting their large salaries into signing bonuses, thereby pushing out cap charges into the future years through proration. These are cap restructures done by every team in the NFL. The player receives the exact same money he was scheduled to receive, sometimes even with better cash flow and an earlier payment schedule.

 

[Big_D]

I agree. I wouldn't. A playing career is short.

From a team standpoint, you have to make the tough decisions, from the players standpoint, you have to get what you can while you can.

 

[lk8701]

This doesn't apply to Dak since he isn't elite. Just average/slightly above average.

 

[Jarv]

A couple of GOAT's, Jordan and Brady took less. Championships and greatness can actually get you even more money in the long run.

 

[Adreme]

A couple of GOAT's, Jordan and Brady took less. Championships and greatness can actually get you even more money in the long run.

Jordan did not take less. One of the problems they had with keeping the team together was he wanted a raise and they could not fit it under the cap. Jordan took every cent he could. The only high level player basically ever to take less was Brady and if you can just find a wife who will make double what you do no matter what then I suspect taking less will not be a big deal.

 

[Big_D]

A couple of GOAT's, Jordan and Brady took less. Championships and greatness can actually get you even more money in the long run.

There are no guarantees even if you did take less. Nevermind a historic run. Brady took less after a championship because he already knew at that point.

 

[DandyDon52]

Taking less cash only hurts the player and helps the owner, who is paying less than he should.

this is false, owners have to spend the cap on players they dont profit from it.
It just means more $ to spend on other players.

 

[America's Cowboy]

Jordan did not take less. One of the problems they had with keeping the team together was he wanted a raise and they could not fit it under the cap. Jordan took every cent he could. The only high level player basically ever to take less was Brady and if you can just find a wife who will make double what you do no matter what then I suspect taking less will not be a big deal.

Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Jimmy Garoppolo and a few others took less during their 2nd big contract extensions in order to help their team (and it did help).

This SI writer is absolutely wrong. Basic economics.

 

[bandfan]

Well, If anybody wants to pay me half of what a QB gets I ain't thinking twice...

 

[ChronicCowboy]

“Don’t be selfless because it makes us swaths of selfish people look bad.”

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

A couple of GOAT's, Jordan and Brady took less. Championships and greatness can actually get you even more money in the long run.

You guy keep saying Brady took less...he earned 525 million during his career...I Don't know where this myth came from he took less.....

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Jimmy Garoppolo and a few others took less during their 2nd big contract extensions in order to help their team (and it did help).

This SI writer is absolutely wrong. Basic economics.

Y'all keep saying Romo took less and I Do not remember that. Every time Romo signed he was one of the highest paid QB's in the league. Jimmy G...

 

[TheMarathonContinues]

I don;'t agree with guys having to take less honestly. I would never do it. Why? Because these GM's have proven to be incompetent. Why would I take a pay cut for you to give it to Jaylon Smith, Zeke and La'el Collins? What sense does that make? Or for you to spend it on a Nolan Carroll?

 

[America's Cowboy]

I don;'t agree with guys having to take less honestly. I would never do it. Why? Because these GM's have proven to be incompetent. Why would I take a pay cut for you to give it to Jaylon Smith, Zeke and La'el Collins? What sense does that make? Or for you to spend it on a Nolan Carroll?

You're not making sense bro. There is a salary cap in play. Very simple math to understand. Only so much of the pie available every year. How you slice up that pie and distribute it to as many key players is the difference between keeping a playoff team intact or just fielding a team for show.

 

[Big_D]

The league is making big bucks on these guys. You're a better man than me taking a pay cut in light of a league that makes billions for a ring that might never come anyway. This is very much a business. As much as we want to bring the sport back to the joys of high school football and winning being the only motivation, the NFL is not that.

 

[Adreme]

Tony Romo, Ben Roethlisberger, Jimmy Garoppolo and a few others took less during their 2nd big contract extensions in order to help their team (and it did help).

This SI writer is absolutely wrong. Basic economics.

Jimmy G signed a record contract. Room’s was the second highest ever and Ben only took less his final year after not his entire career (and being the highest cap hit in NFL for most of his last 5).

 

[Hawkeye0202]

I admit I haven't read the entire article but this same writer once said there's no such thing as home town discount. As he put it, all QBs ( with the exception of Brady ) sign deals for their market value but some structure their contracts to make it easier to pay other players but it never LESS MONEY, just moved around.

 

[bewp7]

correct

u pay them as elite qb because they can elevate the enitre offense by themself

that is why they are worth huge money

if u have to surround ur qb with talent at every spot (which u cant do if ur paying them elite money) then ur screwed

ehich is why dak is not worth his contract and cap hit he cant elevate

 

[RS12]

Depends on your definition of elite.

 

[Verdict]

I’m going to take a big fat dump (deuce) on this take by the Brant guy. I can see why a player like Dak who was drafted late would want to get “paid” on his second contract.

But a guy like Rodgers should, at this point in his career, be ring chasing. He can make so much more money in endorsements by winning SBs like Brady that it more than compensates for the money he doesn’t take from the team.

Tom Brady is the most successful QB in history due to:

1. Playing in a bad division
2. Taking less than he should have been paid
3. With a great coach helping strategize wins.

Would you rather be Rodgers or Brady? I rest my case.