NFL Players Handling Business Very Differently As They Await Huge Paydays
People in the NFL want to get their money yesterday, maybe earlier, for work they're about to do in the coming years. So it's been interesting surveying how some players are handling business in communicating their desires for two things:
Getting paid right.
And getting paid ASAP.
SANTA CLARA, CA - NOVEMBER 7: Brandon Aiyuk #11 of the San Francisco 49ers runs after making a catch during the game against the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium on November 7, 2021 in Santa Clara, California. The Cardinals defeated the 49ers 31-17. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/San Francisco 49ers/Getty Images)
Group Of Players About To Get Paid
Around the league, outstanding players such as CeeDee Lamb, Brandon Aiyuk, Tua Tagovailoa, Jordan Love, Trevor Lawrence, Micah Parsons, Tyreek Hill, Dak Prescott, Tee Higgins, Haason Reddick, and perhaps others are eagerly anticipating contract news from their agents.
Almost all – except for Higgins and maybe Reddick – are going to get the news they're signing a huge deal with their current teams. And that deal will deliver to them generational wealth.
But the timing of it all has become an issue for some of these guys. The waiting is a little uncomfortable because the longer it takes, the more obvious it becomes there are differences of opinion about the player's value.
And that drives these people who typically want to attain goals as fast as possible a little batty.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 23: CeeDee Lamb #88 of the Dallas Cowboys catches a touchdown pass while defended by Jartavius Martin #20 of the Washington Commanders during the third quarter at AT&T Stadium on November 23, 2023 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Lamb, Aiyuk Skip Minicamp
It's pretty clear Lamb and Aiyuk have reached the stage where they think they must express public dissatisfaction to add urgency to the process. That's why neither player showed up for mandatory minicamp on Tuesday.
Lamb, wanting to become the NFL's highest-paid receiver but perhaps accepting being the second-highest paid, stayed away from the Cowboys.
Aiyuk, wanting to become the highest paid receiver on his team and also getting near the top of the receiver wage scale, stayed away from the start of the 49ers minicamp.
Both players can now be fined for every day they miss.
That is apparently worthwhile to both because their absence sends a clear message: I'm not super happy with the way the process is going right now.
HENDERSON, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 08: Head coach Kyle Shanahan speaks to media during San Francisco 49ers media availability ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at Hilton Lake Las Vegas Resort and Spa on February 08, 2024 in Henderson, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images)
Aiyuk Holdout Exclusively About A Message
It is exclusively about sending a message in the 49ers case with Aiyuk. The fact is, the receiver has not shown up for any part of the offseason conditioning program or any phases of the OTA program.
So coach Kyle Shanahan would not ask Aiyuk to actually practice in minicamp and risk an injury after having not done anything with the team the previous two months.
Aiyuk knows this and decided to stay away anyway because, again, it sends a public message that he's not happy.
"Some guys come because they want to avoid a fine, and some don't," Shanahan told reporters on Tuesday. "But regardless, it doesn't change anything when those guys have come. We know what the process is, we know what the business part is, and that's just how they decide how they want to handle this week."
The 49ers have a history of signing their top players to extensions later in the offseason rather than sooner.
They basically waited until the eve of the regular-season in 2023 to lock up Nick Bosa. George Kittle didn't get his extension until August of 2020 and Deebo Samuel waited until July of 2022 for his deal to get done.
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 07: Justin Jefferson #18 of the Minnesota Vikings runs the ball up the field after a catch during the first half of a game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on January 07, 2024 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images)
In that regard, Aiyuk can take some solace that his ongoing negotiations are a marathon rather than a sprint, but the team has a history of completing the runs.
It's different in Dallas.
Like Aiyuk, Lamb is subject to a fine of $16,953 for missing Tuesday's mandatory work and as much as $101,716 for missing all three minicamp days.
Head coach Mike McCarthy called Lamb's decision to stay away "a business decision."
And Lamb's business is to land a deal comparable to the one signed by Justin Jefferson with the Minnesota Vikings earlier this week.
That's Lamb's target because, over their first four years in the NFL, Lamb and Jefferson are comparable in some regards. Lamb has more total touchdowns than Jefferson (36-31) and more catches (395-392).
The Cowboys could counter that Jefferson is more dynamic because he has a higher per-catch average, has more 100-yard receiving games (29-18) and has been more often unstoppable, posting 175-yard receiving games six times to Lamb's 2.
Jefferson's $35 million per season annual average and a guaranteed figure at or approaching $100 million in the top receiver benchmark now. And Lamb wants to get as close as possible.
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 04: Tua Tagovailoa #1 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass during the first quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium on December 04, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
QBs Try To Hit Or Exceed $50M Per Year
The quarterback benchmark is $50 million-plus per year on an annual average.
And Tagovailoa, Love, Prescott, and probably even Lawrence are all going to reach that plateau. Or at least they're trying.
And part of that is showing up for the latter stages of OTAs and minicamp. All have done that.
The second part is getting a fair deal.
"I’ll tell you one thing; the market is the market," Tagovailoa said Tuesday. "…I mean, I’m not blind to people that are in my position that are getting paid. Am I concerned about it? I’m not concerned about it, but there’s a lot of discussion that we’ve had that we just are trying to move that thing into the right direction where we can both be happy."
Tagovailoa said he's confident a deal with the Dolphins will get done because, he added, he's seen progress in the negotiations. But the process is clearly trying his patience.
"I just want to get something done, that’s it," Tagovailoa said. "Just want to get something done."
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 20: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass on the run during an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers at Levi's Stadium on January 20, 2024 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
The Timeline For Deals
The typical timeline for these deals getting done is prior to the start of training camp. So anywhere between now and late July.
That certainly is the case in Green Bay with Love, as general manager Brian Gutekunst told local radio station 97.3 The Game.
"We're in those conversations right now," Gutekunst said Tuesday. "Both parties want the same thing. We'd like to get this done before training camp for sure."
That is not, however, the case for everyone.
Higgins received the franchise tag from the Bengals in March. That means the team wants to pay him $21.8 million this season but won't commit to him beyond that.
Higgins understands the Bengals cannot afford to pay him and eventually pay Ja'Marr Chase, too. So he's asked for a trade, has not signed the franchise tag tender, and hasn't shown up for any team activities or workouts.
He cannot be fined for missing mandatory minicamp unless he signs the tag, which he's not expected to do anytime soon. He can also skip significant portions of training camp and not be fined unless he signs the tag.
This seems like a divorce in slow motion. And, no, Higgins is not happy even if that $21.8 million is coming to him in 2024. Why?
Because it's not the $100-plus million a four-year contract would pay him.