Is it already past time for all NFL contracts to change?

A person needs to, at least, be of retirement age to recall a time in this country when the NFL wasn’t that big of a deal. For those of us who are younger than that, it’s almost impossible for us to imagine circumstances we hear about from the 60’s and early 70’s. For instance, the NFL draft taking place in a single hotel ballroom with one representative from each team sitting at a small desk with a stack of newspapers.  The results were such a minor curiosity that they typically were shared with each city’s hometown locals a full day or two later. Yes, the US of A without the NFL’s fandom dominance is almost as foreign to us as, well, a foreign country. That fact is a seemingly indelible part of our culture.

Part of that is the sheer entertainment value of the game itself. Its complexity, creativity, and physical challenge is second to none. Even the most ardent basketball, baseball, hockey, or soccer fan would likely concede that their sports of choice definitely have more redundancy (or even monotony) of play and strategy than the NFL. Fact is, teams in other sports can ‘phone in’ multiple games and still end up competing for the title at the end of the season- but not so with football. The stakes nearly every week are make or break and that turns Sundays into must watch tv with holiday-level food and friends gathering in many households across the nation.

But the main reason for the NFL’s ridiculous level of dominance in the sports landscape from its tiny inconsequential status just 60 years ago is likely more about what happened off the field than on. The NFL adapted to changing cultural landscapes with media use and kept on changing the game to emphasize what fans wanted to see. From the salary cap, to free agency, to revenue sharing, to a greater emphasis on offense (yes- I love great defense, too, just like you. I am from Pittsburgh, after all.) But the truth is the NFL knew that most fans wanted more scoring and they responded. The NFL has repeatedly made great decisions and fully committed to innovative changes that have made the game what we know and enjoy today.

I think the NFL might need to take another major leap forward again. In fact, they actually might be lagging with it, and if they don’t fix it, I think it could mark one of the first- and biggest- stumbles back they’ve ever encountered.

This week, we had a major development when both Cam Heyward and Chris Boswell indicated that they wanted new contracts from the Steelers. This was big news as, to this point, it seemed the Steelers had primarily avoided the level of camp drama that had often plagued our team the last few years’ past.

From what I’ve read, watched, and listened to Chris Boswell’s request isn’t really controversial. Players who have outplayed their contract ask for more money all of the time. And “The Wizard of Boz” has certainly done so. He’s almost hands down the very best in the league and yet his contract’s value is only the 11th in the league. In fact, situations like Chris’s are kind of to be expected because some players actually do what everyone hopes they do which is to grow and develop. And most people understand that due to the overwhelmingly physically demanding nature of the game of American Football when compared to just about anything else, the amount of time any player has to play the game (and make money) is very limited. So, Boz’s request has garnered more of the run of the mill response from most fans when an excellent player takes a stand like his and that is, “He’s great and we need him. Pay the man!”

But Cam Heyward’s situation is proving more unique. Heyward had a great, Pro-bowl season last year. Based on last season’s performance, he’s still arguably one of the top two or three interior defensive lineman in the NFL, yet his contract ranks 22nd in the league! Plus he’s maybe the biggest team leader among all the Steelers players as well as a fan favorite. He’s a winner of multiple awards for his charitable work off the field and has even been recognized for his availability and positive interactions on behalf of the team with the press. You would think the overall fan reaction would be much the same as it is for Chris Boswell. But it hasn’t. And there’s a handful of reasons why.

First, he is 36 years old. At his position, it’s remarkable he’s still playing at all let alone as well as he is. For comparison, Pittsburgh native, Aaron Donald, was one of the most decorated and accomplished interior lineman of the last couple of decades and his body gave out/ he retired at just 32. Every year Heyward plays there is an ever-more likely risk that he will simply be incapable of performing as he has in the past or that he’ll be injured and unable to recover as he once did.

Second, he kinda didn’t handle this go round as graciously as we have become accustomed to where Mr. Heyward is concerned. He turned to social media and accused the Steelers of “taking him for granted.” We don’t know what conversations took place behind closed doors previously to this moment, but from the fan’s perspective it seemed both harsh and to come out of nowhere, especially when you consider the most important issue at hand, and that is:

He just signed an extension last off season. That extension- which, itself, was also a bit controversial and debated due to his age-was for 3 years and included a 15 million dollar signing bonus with a near minimum salary, but also includes a near 13 million dollar roster bonus next March. Agreeing even in theory to pay an extremely aged (in NFL terms) player a contract valued at over 30 million seems like a solid commitment.

Now, I write about the Steelers, and Cam Heyward’s actions this week is what prompted this article. But, I’m not really here to comment on Cam as much as what I see as the deeper issue. Though the Steelers have been relatively unscathed from such situations and demands, an increasing number of players have been receiving or demanding new contracts before their current contracts are up. In fact, it’s become almost expected in the last year of their contract (and that kind of makes sense). But now it’s getting earlier and earlier.

I should also state that I always lean toward favoring the player in most situations for many of the reasons I previously stated regarding impossible to predict performances and longevity. You can even throw in the leaping and bounding salary cap to boot. But, I must admit, I do share some of my fellow fan’s reaction to Cam Heyward’s situation and their reluctance to embrace his demands, and this started me asking:

Is the issue Cam Heyward (or any other player who has done the same thing), or is it really the nature of NFL contracts altogether? Do teams need to structure contracts, and the NFL enforce them, in a very different way than they ever have before? Is it time for another big adaptation the NFL is famous for?…

Is it finally time for the NFL to just simply guarantee their contracts?

I’m not the first one to say this and I get the thinking.

It certainly simplifies things as far as cap calculations and does provide a great deal of security for the players.

The problem is there’s just little to no incentive for owners to agree to this. Just saying “guarantee all salaries” is too simplistic. One particular owner whose team is located 2 hours to Pittsburgh’s northwest was characteristically unwise enough to do this with a certain quarterback, but I’m pretty sure even he would balk at doing the same for his entire team.

However, that doesn’t mean some steps couldn’t be taken to make it more appealing. Here’s my take on what could be done that might enable a guaranteed salary structure:

1. Make the pro-ration of signing and roster bonuses enforceable. In the same way the bonus is pro-rated over the contract, the prorated portion is recuperable from the player by the team (via the NFL) in all situations besides retirement or injury at a rate of 50% on the first gameday of the current regular season. The 50% credited the player compensates for taxation the player has already paid on what they received.

So, using Cam Heyward as the example: If he refuses to play and holds out past the first game of the season, he would contractually owe the Steelers half of the prorated signing bonus he already received. In his case, this would be $5 million. (15 over three years means he has 10 million left for the next two seasons. 50% of that is 5 million.) A player is free to hold out and make the demand when they have outplayed the contract- but they do so with some risk to themselves in doing so.

Cam did not have a roster bonus this year but in such a situation the roster bonus is treated the same as the signing bonus but just for that season. Therefore the player would also owe 50% of what they were paid up front at the beginning of the league year.

2.  A team can sign any player involved in such a dispute, but        they must compensate the team who currently owns the rights to the player their current year’s salary, plus the entire remaining prorated signing bonus and roster bonus. (I think that’s fair because the current team is out all of that money and the new team hasn’t paid any taxes.) AND those moneys are immediately subtracted from the acquiring teams salary cap availability and credited to the team losing the player.

By doing this, I can see players fighting for more in their annual salaries from the get go while teams try to balance out the risk with signing bonuses that can be partially recouped if the circumstances arose. It, essentially, flip flops the current dynamic where players want to load up on signing bonuses as their only real form of guaranteed money.

A player in that scenario that outplays their contract can still make a demand for more money, but if a contract is even in the ball park of where it should be most players might be more satisfied in that they, at least, know there is a guarantee against injury in the form of their salary. They also have to seriously think about a hold out.

It kind of levels the playing field because if the player was truly under compensated and “taken for granted,” there will absolutely be a team willing to pay for their services. The additional compensation would be considered totally worth it. But, they aren’t going to simply be able to do a shakedown for a couple million more either. Because if there aren’t any other teams interested, they will personally owe their teams a lot more than that if they refuse to play. It also forces contract negotiations to be more serious. The best time to do the negotiating is before the paper is signed because changes are harder to make down the road.

I think these compromises have some appeal to both the player and the team. The player receives fully guaranteed pay while not completely losing all freedom, and the teams have a bit more influence over a players’ rights/ are compensated if they can’t work out a deal when a player wants more than they are willing to part with.

I’m sure more would have to be thought through in order to make guaranteed salaries a reality. But I think something like the above sets the right climate for it to be discussed.

I don’t know. Maybe I’m way off base. But I just have a sense that if even great players of high character like Cam Heyward see no problem in making demands just one year into a three year contract, then we are going to see this more and more to the point where contracts are almost worthless. If the NFL doesn’t do something about this soon, then team ownership and fans alike, essentially, will have no idea who is truly going to be on the team from one year to the next. That will, eventually, devalue fan experience and even team strategy/ continuity which will eventually affect the on field product, too.

I’m not sure the NFL can wait 6 years for the next CBA. They have a history of making the right adjustments and doing so with full commitment. Maybe this is the right time for them to continue in this tradition and do so again?

Oh-and for the record- what I think the Steelers should do with Cam Heyward is the same thing they did with Antonio Brown in 2017. I think they should convert a portion of his roster bonus that is slated for 2026 into this year as guaranteed salary. They have the cap space to do it and, I mean, hey, “He’s a great player and I think they should pay the man!”

But what’s your opinion? Is this the right time for the NFL to reconsider the way contracts get done in their sport? Or do you think things are just fine the way they are and shouldn’t change?

Or do you have a different perspective on how to make a guaranteed salary arrangement more attractive for front offices?

Or maybe an entirely different idea altogether on how to solidify NFL contracts?

Let’s talk about it in the comments below…