So Im NOT complaining about the Goff contract at all.
This is more or less showing where we are heading.
Since the cap was implemented in 1999. This is the top 5 highest paid QBs. Average AAV vs the Cap.
For instance top 5 QB this year currently average $52.7m AAV. And the cap is $255.4m so 20.63% of the cap.
Its been going up.
The cap goes up about 6.5% every year.
While QB contracts go up 8% a year.
Meaning the qbs are taking up 1.5% more of the cap every year.
They are going to have to cap QBs or any player for that matter at 20% of the cap
Other than Watson its a non issue there. Virtually every qb contract has been around the same % for guaranteed. Around 70-80% for lifetime and 40-60% at signing
I think a max player contract in the nfl will have negative competitive advantage as you will be forced to pay above average qbs the max to keep them but the elite qbs cant push the upper band anymore.
Small market teams or perennial losers will struggle even more to get out of their situations as player movement is reduced, especially if the franchise tag remains.
Idk if a max cap value is the best solution for rising qb contracts, but let me ask something more pointed… why do we care what an athlete is being paid, and what competitive balancing has happened in the nba with the introduction of Max contracts?
This is true. I HATE the NBA max deal. BUT in the NBA you only have 7 player per team. Not 53+
Maybe ownership will start force correcting itself. Like the market will lower the amount. But I just worry it’s going to get to a point of no return. You’re talking 10 years from now quarterback might be making 40% of the salary cap at the current rate things are going. That is not sustainable.
It will result, and only rookie quarterbacks being good. Meaning high paid quarterbacks will be on bad teams. Rookie quarterbacks will be on good teams.
Not my point. Every other major sports league guarantees their contracts. The players and their representatives know this. The teams want to avoid it. I assure you that it is indeed a major issue.
Not sure . . . haven’t really thought about it. I think it would be hard to implement as teams are their own worst enemy, they’ll find ways to circumvent any cap.
The NFLPA is weak, if the owners want something they’ll force it.
I think if they got away from the funding requirements on guaranteed contracts, you’d see substantially more full guarantees. Right now, the contracts have rolling guarantees, that are close to fully guaranteed (just avoids the funding requirements). Russell Wilson’s contract was supposed to be a way that you couldn’t get out of it early. Wilson was so bad, the Broncos bent over and took one for the team. Sewell contract is practically guaranteed through the 2027 season 57% of the new money. ARSB’s contract is practically guaranteed through the 2027 season as well, 70% of the new money. All but 2028 when he is due $36M . . . that may be reasonable when 2028 rolls around.
I do think that the NFL will need to look at creating a percentage cap. But also look at the guaranteed monies.
I would prefer they lower it to 16-18% max to spread the money around more or kick more into the pension fund and let players get at that sooner…ect. Especially for the guys who did not get those 100M contracts. Give some help to the 3-6 year guys who make min and such. Those are the guys who often seem to be thrown away due to injuries and such.
For the top 5-10% for sure. The rest are cannon fodder, well I am not even sure that is correct.
But the money the top end guys are making is hard to grasp.
People have been saying that for 15+ years now. One thing that happened a decade ago was that the market did go thru a bit of a correction. There was a time when any QB with a pulse that was a mediocre starter was getting paid big bucks on long term deals. Teams were terrified of moving away from a guy that could start, even if he wasn’t all that great.
The Broncos decided not to pay Brock Osweiller, even though that was the type of QB that was getting long term deals for big money. Brock signed with the Texans and the Broncos have been in QB hell ever since. Brock didn’t work out either. If you look closely, some teams have wised up…to a degree. “Back in the day” the Jags would have given a long term extension to Gardner Minshew. Instead, they drafted his replacement. The same for when Minshew was in Indy. “Back in the day” the Colts would have signed up for the Minshew show long term instead of drafting his replacement. The Browns would have extended Baker Mayfield. These things are not happening as often now.
If the relative value of a QB demands that level of pay in relation to the rest of the roster, then the market will reflect that. It’s not problematic, simply market economics.
In an uncapped world, QBs would be getting paid a ton more than they are right now. This is totally subjective but I would say QBs are more than twice as important as anyone else on the team, yet the top QBs don’t get paid twice as much as the top non-QBs. QBs are underpaid when you compare to other positions and other sports.
Since the current passing boom began around 2011 the QB has become more important every season, while RBs have become less important. QBs are just taking that RB money and some LB money too. If the rules swing back in favor of other positions then the money will swing back in their favor too.
The changing value of player contracts is just part of the evolution of the game. It’s not permanent and it’s not terminal either.
