NFL GM Reportedly Asks Prospects About NIL Opportunities, Taking Note of 'Character'

The college sports landscape has been forever changed by the advent of the NIL age, with former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava most recently in the news for reportedly leaving the school as he sought more money.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini appeared on Wednesday's The Herd with Colin Cowherd and discussed how the NFL is viewing the current NIL landscape (6:12 mark):

"I had one general manager share with me that the notes that are being taken on this are not so much about players that are are investing in their careers and trying to make the most money—they understand that. That is the 2025 world that we live in right now. It is, 'Are players now choosing themselves and making themselves the priority over the team?' He shared with me that he met with some of these draft prospects and some of these guys were telling him that they had other opportunities at other schools that were going to pay them more money but they liked the program that they were part of, and that they felt that their teammates deserved that commitment from them despite the fact that they could make a lot more money somewhere else. So yeah, the NFL is watching the character of a lot of these players.

"But the overall view of what's happening, I don't think anyone is getting blame in any of this. The only ones who are getting blame right now are those that are running the NCAA. And I think that's how the NFL space is looking at it, while also taking note of character. Of how these guys are navigating this."

NFL general managers and front offices will always consider every possible detail when analyzing a player's talent and character, so it isn't surprising that they would look at how players handle their NIL opportunities as another clue.

Like anything else, talent and a great tape will almost always win out in the evaluation process. But players now have to consider that the NFL is watching how they handle the NIL's Wild West.