…would you get the highest sized contract possible, or would you leave some money on the table so that your team could sign a stronger supporting cast?
This is timely in that Dak Prescott just signed a big contract following Patrick Mahomes last year. Both of those teams will have a lot less available to use to sign a supporting cast? I also recall reading one other article that pointed out that no quarterback who has signed a big-time contract has won the Super Bowl since. Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees and Russell Wilson come to mind as quarterbacks who won the game previously before signing big-time contracts but never did after they signed contracts that ate-up a significant amount of their teams’ salary-cap space.
By contrast, Tom Brady was known for not sticking it to his team as much as possible since he wanted a strong supporting cast. Brady never went poor and was always paid well, but he no doubt could have been paid a lot more during his career had he wanted to. He also probably would not have won nearly as many Super Bowls as he did.
My team, the Buffalo Bills, is looking at the same issue with Josh Allen. They have one year left to make a run while he is on his rookie contract. After that he will sign a big-time contract and the remaining salary cap space will shrink.
As much hate as Brady (deservedly) gets, this is a huge reason for the Patriots success.
If I remember right, Patrick Mahomes structured his deal to keep money available for supporting cast.
That was one of two reasons. The second reason was that the Patriots were very selective about giving out large long-term contracts and avoiding doing so when they knew they could replace the player without a drop-off. They avoided going into salary cap purgatory that way.
Or, in the case of Randy Moss, they kept him on the team long enough while he was motivated to get a big long-term contract. Then, once that time expired, the Patriots did not give him that big extension but instead moved-on. They knew Moss would go into the tank once he had that contract, and they were not going to put that albatross around their necks.
I think this may have been a two way street.
Many players signed with the Pats at below market so they could get a ring and then cash in on their next contract.
Perhaps with some players. However, going on memory there were also players who the Patriots had as draft picks who they let walk once they hit free agency. Deion Branch comes to mind. He signed with Seattle and never did as well as he did with the Patriots, then came back to the Patriots later.
I believe that’s correct. One thing that strikes me about Mahomes is that he is one of the few who KNOWS that without a good supporting cast, he’ll be running for his life. Something about that kid is different from any other NFL player that I know.
I don’t follow the Cowboys much anymore, but I really can’t see what Dak Prescott has done to warrant a contract that rivals a kid who has led his team to the super bowl two out of the 3 years that he’s been a starter. I mean, when Mahomes was winning a Super Bowl, his salary was $645,000 and Pescotts was $2 million. Was Prescott 3 times better than Mahomes?
What is the average career length for nfl? 5 years?
I know the practice team is longer but their pay is low. Way back when I worked at circuit city. I met a practice player. Cool dude. Talked all about it. One of my “hobbies” is learning about unusual jobs.
Basically very good at football but not big enough to truly compete. Technically he could get called up for a game but that was about impossible he said.
Since we did credit apps. We got to learn what people made. Shocking what some jobs pay.
I remember a local sports radio show with Kendall Gammon, the Chiefs long snapper.
He was technically a tight end, but was not nearly talented enough to play there in the NFL.
He advised young athletes in sports and in life “get good at something nobody either wants to do or can’t do and you will be successful”. He had a 14 year career and made a Pro Bowl.