This story was originally published by Dead Spin
Massive contract extensions got quarterbacks Jordan Love and Tua Tagovailoa back on the field with their respective teams, but a handful of other NFL stars are still opting to watch practice from the sidelines as they await potential new deals.
Love will be with the Green Bay Packers for the next four years to the tune of $220 million, while Tagovailoa signed a four-year, $212.4 million extension with the Miami Dolphins.
But wide receivers Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers and Ja’Marr Chase of the Cincinnati Bengals are among those who haven’t been as fortunate, with both holding in while hoping for an extension.
San Francisco has also had to deal with the absence of offensive tackle Trent Williams, who, like Dallas Cowboys star wideout CeeDee Lamb, is holding out of training camp.
Players who don’t report to camp are fined daily, resulting in financial losses that they can’t get back.Â
It’s these kinds of situations that make it hard to believe that winning is truly at the top of everyone’s list. No player is going to come out and say that their main focus is chasing a check, although we all know it is, to some extent. Players instead try to convince us that they’ll do anything for the team, but that’s only true if their pockets are full.Â
And this isn’t to say that players shouldn’t be reasonably compensated for their contributions to their teams. There are guys out there who do deserve record-breaking deals.Â
But there are also those who don’t and still believe they do.
For example, New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon has been seeking an extension ahead of the 2024 campaign, the final season of a four-year, $56 million contract. Feeling like he deserves a big deal, Judon reported to camp and practiced before sitting out during the first two sessions of padded practice.
During the first padded practice, tensions were seemingly high between Judon and first-year coach Jerod Mayo, as the two had a heated exchange.
While Judon has been great when healthy, he played in just four games (two starts) last year. Is he deserving of a hefty deal? Probably. However, he really doesn’t have a lot of leverage after missing 13 games.
Players are always going to want more money, and they have every right to hold out or hold in. But for Aiyuk, Chase, Williams and Lamb, four players who are lucky enough to be on teams contending for a title, doesn’t the situation you find yourself in make up for a somewhat smaller contract.Â
Maybe I’m naive, but I’d like to think that I’d accept a team-friendly, multi-million-dollar deal to stay with a franchise that actually has a shot at going all the way. That doesn’t seem to be the case in today’s NFL, though.
If the money isn’t where a player wants it to be, he’s more than willing to put the team in a worse position because of it.
Front offices need to take care of their top talent, but said top talent also needs to be willing to work with the front office a little bit. Every player should bet on himself, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of the team.
