NFL holdouts are an essential part of the league’s lore. They draw attention to the clash between players seeking to be compensated fairly and teams seeking to remain within their salary cap. These standoffs usually entail personal sacrifice, public shaming, and at times, career-changing resolutions. Veterans and vocal advocates for the new rule, like Walter Jones and Trent Williams, have lived the experience of holdouts firsthand. Yet their experiences demonstrate just how complicated these negotiations can be.
Walter Jones, the former Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle, is one of the more well-known names in the history of NFL holdouts. In fact, from 2002-2004, he missed training camps over contract negotiations. His choice to sit out of training camp came with its costs. Despite receiving jokes from his teammates for three consecutive years, Jones remained focused on his goal of securing a better contract. Incredibly, he went to the Pro Bowl following each of those seasons, a testament to the impact he made with his dynamic playmaking ability.
In 2005, Jones signed a seven-year, $52.5 million deal. This contract locked in his place as one of the highest-paid tackles in the entire sport. The financial impact of his holdout was immense. It would only take missing two games during the season to lead to a loss of two game checks, or – $578,823. This financial risk underscores the high stakes of holdouts. Players can’t let their thirst for justice outweigh the need to wait, risking their hard-earned dollars.
In much the same way, Trent Williams underwent a parallel hell during his holdout in 2019. After holding out all season after his refusal to play for the then-Washington Football Team, Williams was never reinstated and eventually traded in the offseason. His story exemplifies how holdouts affect much more than the players’ contract. They can incite trades on/whips from their squads.
As Kevin Greene’s experience in Carolina should be yet another cautionary tale. He refused to settle for a lesser contract and Diana Ross-Mississippi’d by Carolina. The story got out shortly after, and then he signed with the San Francisco 49ers. These kinds of results call into question whether holdouts are a sustainable strategy for achieving superior agreements.
Tim Biakabutuka, who was a rookie in Carolina, learned that lesson on his own when he subsequently held out for a better deal. Holdouts risk more than financial losses. Yet they usually break bad on team chemistry and derail a player’s career path.
Vernon Davis made headlines back in 2014 when he held out of San Francisco’s mandatory minicamp while looking for an extension. His absence certainly highlighted the pressures players are under to negotiate these contracts when deadlines are approaching and the threat of a fine exists.
The league has made it very difficult to be that player with strict penalties on players that decide to holdout. Each day a player fails to practice costs him the loss of $50,000 in salary. This penalty only adds to the fire in this already precarious environment. For players who are generally still used to getting paychecks on a weekly basis during the regular season, the financial stakes are exacerbated.
These realities are exacerbated by the current collective bargaining agreement, which has made it more difficult than ever for players to seek relief in times of holdouts. Given leverage that may have once existed, it has all but disappeared. Today, these negotiations are fraught with peril for players and their agents alike.
Vince Taylor described how the second time around helps when dealing with family, friends, spouse and children. Beyond all this, it assists with understanding and traversing any tricky shenanigans that come with the media circus and other unsavory environments.
Players are usually at the mercy of their agents during these negotiations. Agents take on varied responsibilities, serving as guidance counselors and campus security. They go to the ends of the earth to protect their clients from outside influences. “You’re an agent, you’re a counselor, you’re a therapist, you’re a police officer, sometimes security guard,” said Damarius Bilbo. You’re just trying to prevent the dude from going on a Twitter tirade.
No matter the instruction of agents and advisors, players are often left holding the bag as they undergo the public pile-on during their respective holdouts. Bill Polian noted, “You took so many slings and arrows publicly,” indicating that players often face backlash from fans and media alike. The emotional, personal toll this can take is huge.
For those who’ve never been through a holdout, it can be hard to appreciate the brutality of such an experience. “I’ll say this for an agent or a player who has never experienced it, I don’t think you can tell them enough how brutal it is,” Taylor added, highlighting the psychological strain that accompanies these standoffs.
Even Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons expressed that players should keep the emotions out of trade negotiations. “It’s keeping alignment and knowing that there’s going to be tension points throughout the process until you get to where you want to go,” he explained. Keeping the emphasis on what is factual and data-driven rather than emotional will go a long way in getting to agreeable solutions. Parsons’ key advice—“Focus on the data and let the market speak.” May we continue to follow where the data leads us—to a better place.
As Walter Jones used to tell me about how he survived those years as an outlier. “If I would’ve come in there out of shape, they would’ve said, ‘See this is why he needs to get to training camp,’” he noted. This illustrates the ongoing, relentless, often literal life-or-death pressure that players endure on the field while discussing contract negotiations.
The stakes for NFL holdouts, as always, are quite high. The stakes are high. Players risk their paychecks and reputations all for the hope of earning what they are worth. In this landscape, design organizations frequently have power over people.
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