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Deals: Why a new NFL contract battle has emerged
Our free and excellent NFL newsletter, Scoop City, published an edition this week that left me thinking about several recent pieces of news. You can judge how related they are:
- An independent arbitrator found that in 2022, the NFL encouraged owners to limit guaranteed contracts after the Browns made their disastrous $230 million commitment to Deshaun Watson. (The NFLPA alleged collusion that year; journalist Pablo Torre got his hands on the arbitrator’s findings and published some documents a few weeks ago.)
- Earlier this offseason, two teams, the Texans and Browns, agreed to fully guaranteed deals with second-round picks. It’s believed that these were the first ever second-round drafteesto have 100 percent of their pay guaranteed.
- But it took weeks for any other second-rounders to sign, as the rest of the NFL held the line on offering full guarantees. Only two were signed by the middle of this week.
- The last few days have finally brought a flurry of deals, including a few with full guarantees. Yet, nearly half the second-rounders still hadn’t signed by the end of the day on Friday, though we can expect the vast majority to get done shortly.
What was all this fuss about, then? Agents and the NFLPA want to set a new standard that second-rounders get guaranteed contracts. That’s how first-rounders reached that point, after all. (It’s not CBA-mandated that every first-round pick gets 100 percent of his deal guaranteed.)
But most teams have held firm. Sometimes it made sense. The Browns are one of the teams that did guarantee a second-rounder’s deal, but they haven’t done so for No. 36 pick Quinshon Judkins, who was recently arrested on a domestic violence charge. Yet sometimes, the second-rounder has serious leverage. No. 40 pick Tyler Shough is probably the Saints’ starting quarterback in a post-Derek Carr world. Or he would be, if the Saints sign him. How long is New Orleans going to play chicken with a rookie QB who needs camp reps? (Shough could sign at any moment. Yet it’s unprecedented that he hasn’t.)
Which begs the question of where this is all heading, long term. I asked Scoop City author Jacob Robinson how he thinks this league-wide situation will resolve. “Nothing materially changes” until the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires in 2030, he tells me. But there’s more to watch between now and then, and I’ll turn it over to Jacob here:
- Since guarantees are one of the few things rookies can negotiate, I expect the push for fully guaranteed deals to creep further into the later rounds.
- When the league and the players’ union eventually meet to discuss the next CBA, topics like guarantees and void years (which I explained here) will be key points of contention.
- As for this year, Shough should get his deal fully guaranteed— as a quarterback, he’s too important for the Saints to let this linger — but it’s a big effort for other unsigned second-rounders to join him. After all, a draft pick’s employment options for professional football are limited (though my flag team is always looking).
Thanks to Jacob. Soon enough, there will be ink on these deals, but what happens over the next few years is a live ball.
News to Know
Scheffler grabs Open Championship lead
Scottie Scheffler professed to the media earlier this week that golf success doesn’t fulfill his deepest desires in life. But while his mind might sometimes drift to other priorities, Scheffler is still the undisputed best golfer in the world. He carded a second-round 64 yesterday, the lowest score of his major-championship career, to take a one-stroke lead at the Open. More on the inevitability of Scheffler — and a look at who can catch him — in our full Round 2 recap. Today’s action is already underway. Follow live here. (Free to read and follow!)
Ionescu wins 3-point contest
It was a perfect beginning to WNBA All-Star Weekend for the Liberty, who swept the skills challenge and 3-point contest last night. Natasha Cloud claimed the first event of the night, but it was another dazzling display of shooting from Sabrina Ionescu in the 3-point shootout that won the evening. More on tonight’s much-anticipated All-Star Game shortly.
More news:
- MLB is back from its All-Star break, and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. made one of the most unbelievable throws you will ever see last night. Watch it here.
- Soon after Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned as executive director of the NFLPA, reports surfaced that Howell had charged the union for expenses involving strip clubs visits. More details here.
- Former NFL tight end and media personality Shannon Sharpesettled a rape lawsuit brought against him in April.
- Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte was put on the restricted list after a break-in at his home during the All-Star Game. It’s the latest in a string of burglaries at athletes’ homes.
Watch Guide
📺 Golf: Open Championship, Third Round
NBC until around 3 p.m. ET
Coverage has already begun, scattered around Peacock and USA Network. Regular ol’ NBC carries everything after 7 a.m. ET today and tomorrow. Scottie Scheffler’s issue before this week was that he needed to putt a little better. Well, he’s third in the field in strokes gained on the greens through two rounds.
📺 MLB: Red Sox at Cubs
7:15 p.m. ET on Fox
The Red Sox caught fire heading into the break and are now in a clear buying position as the trade deadline looms. Remember when they traded away their best hitter a month ago? What a time. Brayan Bello pitches against Shota Imanaga. World Series preview? Possibly.
📺 WNBA All-Star Game
8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
Caitlin Clark’s injury casts a shadow (more on that tomorrow), but this weekend remains a big showcase for the W. Make time for this revealing player survey from Ben Pickman and Sabreena Merchant on the league’s most and least appealing destinations.
Pulse Picks
From earlier this week: MLS and Adidas released a second set of retro-inspired kits for 10 teams across the league. Meg Linehan and Brooks Peck reviewed and ranked them.
Speaking of retro, use the POV app at your next party to add some disposable camera/peak Instagram filter-era nostalgia. The delayed reveal feels so quaint. — Torrey Hart
And keeping with the topic of uniforms, David Betancourt has thoughts on MLB players wearing their own teams’ threads at the All-Star Game.
“F1” set a new standard for sports movies. See it in theaters while you can. — Jacob Robinson
Levi Weaver debunked the viral rumor that Trevor Bauer got taken deep for a record 594-foot home run in Japan.
My 6-year-old soccer nut is so excited to start opening NWSL cards we ordered. “I need a Mal Swanson.” LFG. (Backup plan? Check.) — Chris Sprow
Espresso tonics. You may notice I’m on a coffee journey — White guy in his 30s doing that, real original — and I’ve found the wellspring of espresso creativity. This is simply fresh espresso poured into tonic water, but the quality of both parts is key here. A great tonic water makes this a fizzy, lightly fruity dream that dances on the palate. Just try it, and promise me you’ll take more than three sips. — Chris Branch
The WNBA needs to “eventize” more regular-season games, including having Caitlin Clark and the Fever play at Lucas Oil Stadium or a unique outdoor venue in the Midwest, Richard Deitsch argues.
Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Ken Rosenthal’s latest MLB trade deadline intel.
Most-read on the website yesterday: Our Open Championship Round 2 live blog.
Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
(Top photo: Stephen Lew / Imagn Images)
