NFL commissioner Roger Goodell might have just won the “average Joe six-pack” over. Today, Goodell was quoted as saying that rookie salaries are “ridiculous.”
“There’s something wrong about the system,” said Goodell to the Associated Press. “The money should go to people who perform.”
Goodell believes that money should go to proven veterans and not rookies. Many eyebrows were raised when Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Jake Long, the first pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, signed a five-year deal worth over $57 million, with $30 million guaranteed.
Not only is that the highest contract for a rookie offensive lineman, but it is also the biggest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
Shortly after the draft, Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Matt Ryan also broke the bank. The Falcons inked him to a six-year, $72 million dollar deal with $27.3 million guaranteed.
Ryan’s contract received more scrutiny, because its numbers were close to the contracts of Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Ben Roethlisberger, just to name a few. Not to mention, Ryan’s contract is higher than those of David Garrard, Donovan McNabb, and Drew Brees, all proven quarterbacks.
“He doesn’t have to play a down in the NFL and he already has his money,” Goodell said during a Q&A session during a function at the Chautauqua Institution. “Now, with the economics where they are, the consequences if you don’t evaluate that player, you can lose a significant amount of money.”
You are 100 percent correct Mr. Goodell. Why should a young kid, who has never stepped on the field in the NFL, make more than a proven veteran? It’s, to quote Goodell again, “ridiculous.”
Many have pitched the idea that the NFL should bring in a rookie salary cap, much like the NBA's slot-system. Their rookie pay scale assigns salaries by their draft position (the first overall pick receives more than the second pick, the second more than the third, etc...).
The only problem is that Gene Upshaw
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5 months ago
Great article. I agree with you, this problem needs to be solves and Goodell is taking a step in the right direction.
5 months ago
well when all the nfl owners attack goddell for having to spend the money on major rookie salary cap's he might bend a little. Save some dough on rookie's and put it in the back pockets of the owners, awesome, that way everybody gets less money. At that, statistically, the amount of money relative to the available salary cap has gone down in the past decade from 10% to 3-4%, when you look at the numbers, your not always told that with regards to inflation every year the salary cap increases, while the value of the dollar decreases. I agree with Mort's take that this is a p.r. stunt to get all fans looking from the outside looking in to frown on the huge pays that first round picks receive because of their lack of knowledge of situations involving negotiating contracts.
I believe Gene Upshaw knows the best interest of the players union, and obviously the players do as well, but in theory this is a good idea, in reality your just giving more money to the owners, and not to the veterans who deserve the money like tom brady. Anyone who knows anything about whats going on here knows that Goddell is serving the best interest of the team owners who struggle to afford rookie salary demands. While Gene upshaw serves the best interest of those who think they deserve more money as veteran players, and Goddell is using misinformed users and numbers to sway the public to benefit the team owners behind goddell, not the team players.
5 months ago
It's a hard problem to solve, I will give it to Goodell here for at least making it look like he's trying to solve it. However, I don't think that the owners need more money in their pockets, but I'm also sure that these rookies who have never played an NFL game in their lives don't deserve it either...at least not yet. I think that these rookies should be happy with the minimum salary for their first season as well as insentives, lets not forget that these kids are living their dream and playing a game for a career, they should just consider themselves lucky and leave at that until they've proven something to the owners, coaches, players, and more importantly...us...the fans!
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