The Chicago Bears landed one of the most exciting prospects the NFL world has ever seen, former Heisman Trophy winner and USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams. Though Williams has yet to snap a ball at the professional level, he has already been named as the starting quarterback for the Bears in 2024.
Read more: NFL Training Camp Dates For All 32 Teams Released
Now, the biggest issue seems to be with his rookie contract, as Williams has not yet signed his professional deal. He isn’t the only one, as Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy, edge rusher Dallas Turner, and Cincinnati Bengals offensive tackle Amarius Mims.
Most of the other NFL teams have already signed their full rookie additions, leaving behind the Bears, Vikings, and Bengals.
Though it’s not out of the realm of possibility for any player, rookie or otherwise, to want to hammer out the best deal possible — these players not having contracts signed a couple of weeks before training camp is a bit unsettling.
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According to Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio, there are three reasons the contracts for Williams and the other first-round picks not being signed could be due to signing bonus cash flow, voids of guarantees, and guarantee offsets.
Signing bonus cash flow has to do with what teams have readily available, especially after free-agency signings. Most NFL teams aim to defer signing bonuses, instead of paying a huge amount of that signing bonus money upfront when said rookie signs.
Guarantees being voided for subpar play or injury is something that NFL teams want to avoid, but players also want to ensure they have guaranteed money to protect themselves from situations such as these.
Guarantee offsets relate to teams attempting to get another franchise to pay the bill should a player be cut and signed elsewhere. Should Williams not pan out, but be given another shot by another team at the end of 2023, how much of his guaranteed salary could fall to said other team?
There are many variables that could impact every one of these rookies, but at least they are smart enough to ensure they have a rookie contract that they can get the most out of while they carve a significant role for themselves at the NFL level.
Williams has done everything his own way leading to his being drafted, including not taking part in the NFL Combine. It’s not a shock that he is willing to wait it out to get the perfect rookie deal in his eyes. The other first-round picks following suit just means that the rookie contract landscape could be changing. Either way, the Bears, Vikings, and Bengals need to get their players signed immediately or be forced to see them not take advantage of a full training camp.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.