Even if there weren’t a lockout, most NFL rookies wouldn’t have signed their contracts yet. So the lockout hasn’t really had that big a financial impact on the players who were drafted this year.
But that doesn’t mean rookies aren’t starting to get concerned.
Vikings first-round quarterback Christian Ponder said after talking to some of his fellow rookies at this week’s NFLPA* symposium that financial concerns were a hot topic of conversation.
“Guys are hurting for money right now,” Ponder said. “It’s a crazy time, especially with the uncertainty of when we’re going to start and get some money in our pocket.”
Ponder was one of several NFL rookies who talked to the Associated Press about their offseason activities and who said they’re eager to get to work and start getting paid. Bills second-round pick Aaron Williams, a cornerback from Texas, has been working on a ranch, bailing hay and fixing barbed-wire fences.
“Acres and acres of land; you’re always moving,” Williams said. “But it’s better than sitting on your butt playing Xbox.”
Lions receiver Titus Young is living with his parents and says his mom wants him home and his dad wants him gone.
“My mom is rooting for the lockout to continue,” Young said. “But my dad is saying, ‘Get out of the house, son.’ He’s looking up the latest on the lockout every day and telling me updates.”
We hope good news is coming soon, Mr. Young.