One of the strangest things about the way the NFL does business is that unproven rookies routinely get paid more money than established veterans. Some teams have highly drafted rookies who get signing bonuses in the tens of millions while Pro Bowlers on the same team haven't made that much in their entire careers.Tennessee Titans center Kevin Mawae wants to change that. And Mawae has the power to do quite a bit about it, because he's the president of the NFL Players' Association. On ESPN Radio today, Mawae said this:
"I know there is sentiment around the league amongst the players like, 'Let's do something to control these salaries and control these signing bonuses' and things like that, and I know that's something that the owners are talking about and I'm sure that's going to play in to this round of negotiations for this collective bargaining agreement,"It's refreshing to hear Mawae say that because Gene Upshaw, the executive director of the Players' Association, is clinging to a system that hurts the veteran players. When it comes to fair and equitable pay for rookies and veterans, the NBA has a far more sensible system than the NFL. It's good to know that Mawae realizes that, even if Upshaw doesn't.
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Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. i forgot wh said it i think mr gumbel but gene upshaw is the owners bitch. every league should adopt the nba style rookie contracts. PROVE urself before u get any money. we all remember ryan leaf
Posted at 8:14PM on May 21st 2008 by Riley Freeman
2. about time.
thats all i can really say.
Posted at 11:10PM on May 21st 2008 by claytor
3. I agree that a rookie wage scale since not all first round draft choices have super careers like Peyton or Eli Manning.
Posted at 12:11AM on May 22nd 2008 by George B Vieto