03-28-2018, 08:59 PM
No doubt there are cases of NFL teams, including the Vikings, mistreating players about their salaries. But another thing to consider is that players often ask for, and receive, deals which are back-loaded to include high - but not guaranteed - salaries in the later years. Those may be desired for a couple of reasons, including ego ("This makes my contract look really big and will gain some fame for me when it is reported as such") or wishful thinking ("4 years from now I will be getting $6 Million").
But if those end-of-contract salaries are not guaranteed, they are just OPTIONS that the team may choose to elect at their discretion. And...that is not a secret kept from the player or their agent. It's a very common and widely-known practice in the NFL. These guys have a "union" that negotiated a deal that allows this kind of contract, and each individual player accepts them.
We - and NFL players - should all think of any money in a contract which is not guaranteed as being functionally the same as a 5th-year option for a first round draft pick. Did anyone scream about the team being run by snakes in suits when they didn't pay Christian Ponder his 5th-year option?
Restructuring is often the plan from the day a contract is signed, and these players know it. They negotiate these deals when they are in the prime of their careers, but some believe they will be young and strong forever, and some think the money will keep coming for many years. Then they come to the ending years, and they want to act like every penny of their big deal was guaranteed. But it wasn't. I'll save my anger until NFL teams start refusing to pay the guaranteed salaries.
But if those end-of-contract salaries are not guaranteed, they are just OPTIONS that the team may choose to elect at their discretion. And...that is not a secret kept from the player or their agent. It's a very common and widely-known practice in the NFL. These guys have a "union" that negotiated a deal that allows this kind of contract, and each individual player accepts them.
We - and NFL players - should all think of any money in a contract which is not guaranteed as being functionally the same as a 5th-year option for a first round draft pick. Did anyone scream about the team being run by snakes in suits when they didn't pay Christian Ponder his 5th-year option?
Restructuring is often the plan from the day a contract is signed, and these players know it. They negotiate these deals when they are in the prime of their careers, but some believe they will be young and strong forever, and some think the money will keep coming for many years. Then they come to the ending years, and they want to act like every penny of their big deal was guaranteed. But it wasn't. I'll save my anger until NFL teams start refusing to pay the guaranteed salaries.