Report: Language on voiding guarantees holding up Sam Darnold deal

AP

The Jets continue to practice without first-round pick Sam Darnold and a report on Sunday may shed some light on what’s holding up the quarterback’s contract.

Rich Cimini of ESPN.com reports that offsets are an issue as they have been for other first-round picks, but that a bigger sticking point is language regarding the guarantees in Darnold’s contract. Per the report, the Jets want to void Darnold’s entire guarantee, which is expected to be around $30 million, in the event he is fined for his conduct on or off-field at any point during the life of the contract.

Cimini points out that neither Baker Mayfield nor Josh Allen have such language in their contracts. Both players do have language voiding their guarantees in the event of a suspension.

Cimini adds that it is believed that no other top-three pick in the last 10 years has had that language in their deal either, but that apparently isn’t keeping the Jets from making a push to have it in place before Darnold can resume practicing with the team.

 

26 responses to “Report: Language on voiding guarantees holding up Sam Darnold deal

  1. Why do teams nickel and dime supposedly star franchise players like this. They are sending the player the message that he may not be around to collect his full salary. If that’s the case they shouldn’t have drafted him in the first place. If it were me and a team did this, especially to a so called #1 franchise player, I would tell that team if you think so highly of me to want to nickel an dime me than good luck trying to sign me in my next contract cause it will never happen. Just pisses me off and makes me hate the NFL even more.

  2. With the witch hunts that the league conducts annually, theres no way in hell any player should agree to give up guaranteed money.

    Completely fabricated allegations could lead to a suspension.

    Oh wait. This is the Jets. Goodell wont touch him period. Might as well just sign the deal.

  3. It’s unbelievable that in a sport that already have limited guarantees as it is, teams like the Jets and Bears is trying everything possible to further limit it. Especially when no other teams are doing it, but of course people will say it’s the players being greedy.

  4. Welcome to the Jets, kid.

    For context, far as I can tell from Spotrac, three QBs got fined in 2017: Ryan Mallett, verbal offense against an official, Jameis Winston, taunting, and Carson Wentz, fined $9K for a low block. Imagine Wentz losing his guaranteed money for that.

  5. It’s just the Jets! Never mind. That’s what they get drafting him number three. Watch them drafting at number three again next April.

  6. As someone who follows the Jets I think their GM (Mike Maccagnan) is not cut out to be a GM. This is a dumb thing to fight over, so why poison the relationship with your franchise QB before the player has even played.

    Fight battles over large contracts, player hold outs (like Julio Jones or Le’Veon Bell), not petty issues.

    This GM inherited a 4-12 team with a lot of cap space and it went 5-11 after 3 years. He’s had some high picks, but hasn’t done much with his 3 draft classes.
    How long does he get? 4 mediocre years? 5? 6?

    At what point does a team say “this GM is good enough for 8-8. I want to become a strong playoff team and that means a new GM, even if you hire a bad one. At least you don’t tread water for several years”.

  7. @ Bigdaady- You’re pissed off and couldn’t hate the NFL even more, yet you’re the first post on the pro football website story about a Jets rookie in the first days of camp. Me thinks you love the NFL more than you’ll admit.

  8. naes says:
    July 29, 2018 at 4:58 pm
    Sounds like Darnold is smart/aware enough to realize that he is going to be another USC bust.
    =====================================================

    Sounds like you are not smart/aware enough to realize your comment goes beyond childish and into the realm of pathetic.

  9. If the story about guarantees is accurate, this surpasses the stupidity Woody exhibited when he hired Rex Ryan and when he let Tannenbaum give away the team’s future. This is the worst shoot yourself in the foot move the Jets have ever made and I’ve been watching this circus since they signed Namath in 1965.

    Do they realize they just swung public opinion completely behind Darnold? If this is true and it isn’t settled by Wednesday, I might finally be done with them. They are officially at least as pathetic as the Browns.

  10. Maybe they saw something during his background checks that gives cause for concern, if that’s the case then maybe they shouldn’t have drafted him.

  11. If they are that worried about getting out of the guaranteed money, maybe they should not sign him at all or trade him for a pick next year. They must not have much confidence in him being successful. If they did, it wouldn’t matter.

  12. This is clearly on the agent, trying to save face for the fact that Mayfield and Allen agreed to offsets, which reduced his leverage on the real issue, so he’s trying to shift the argument/focus. Expect the Darnold family to step in soon and end the agent’s charade.

  13. thefiesty1 says:
    July 29, 2018 at 4:45 pm
    Do they make a helmet big enough for that head?

    —————-
    They found one big enough for Peyton. And his head grew two sizes the same year his healthy thirty something year old wife was taking bootleg HGH.

  14. I can see where the team is coming from and I assume it is meant to capture significant behavior that, as the face of the franchise, would make the team look especially bad. The problem is there is no way to write something like that into the contract because lawyers on either side will use the literal wording whenever it is beneficial. I doubt the Jets would execute that clause for something minor but there is no way the player can know that or guarantee they don’t except by making sure it isn’t added at all. That said, if a player makes a stink about offsets via conduct issues then odds are even the player isn’t sure there will be no conduct issues and the teams should rightfully be concerned. I think the Jets should make the language the same as the rest and if there is something specific they want to protect against then add specific wording for just that. The “fine” portion, assuming the report is accurate, seems way too general to wipe out tens of millions of dollars.

  15. Sit out the year Sam and re-enter the draft next year … you can do much better than the nickle and dimin’ NY Jets ….

  16. Doesn’t guaranteed money mean it’s guaranteed. Oh yeah, this is the Jets, I forgot, nothing is guaranteed except not winning more than 8 games. Tough team to root for when they operate this way. Thank God I’m a Pats fan!!!!!

  17. grogansheroes says:
    July 29, 2018 at 5:09 pm
    Manner, it’s because people in New England have brains, don’t need to play football. Go look at a study on average IQ, I am sure Indiana will be light years behind the northeast.

    8 8 Rate This

    —————-

    exactly

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