New York Jets: Neither side wrong in Sam Darnold negotiations

The contract negotiations between the New York Jets and Sam Darnold seem to be stuck in neutral, and the problem with it is that both sides have a valid case for their side of the argument.

Currently, there are two 2018 NFL Draft picks that remained unsigned. Chicago Bears rookie linebacker Roquan Smith is one, and New York Jets third overall pick, Sam Darnold, is the other. The Jets will begin their first practice soon, and fans are getting frustrated at the pace of the negotiations. There are even some fans that have called Darnold greedy, and some are on mad at the Jets for the speed at which the negotiations.

The holdup isn’t about money, because rookie contracts are slotted based on where a player is drafted. According to ESPN’s Rich Cimini, the contract is worth $30.2 million (fully guaranteed) with a $20 million signing bonus.

The problem is in the contract itself. Many rookie contract will include some form of “offset” language. That means what the original drafting team is on the hook for if the player is cut during the first four years of the deal. Both sides actually have a reasonable argument.

Athletes — and football players especially — have a limited timeframe in which they can expect maximum value on contracts. So, Darnold wants no offset language in the deal so he can get paid in full by the Jets and the next team, if it comes to that.

The Jets, on the other hand, want some financial and salary cap flexibility if they release him. If there’s offset language in the deal, the Jets would only have to pay him for the portion they owe him less whatever he is making from the next team.

So, let’s say the unthinkable happens and the Jets cut Darnold for some unforeseen reason. With offsets, if they still owe him $15 million in guarantees, and the next team signs him for $5 million in guarantees, the Jets would only be on the hook for $10 million both from their books and a cap perspective. Without offsets, he’d get the $15 million from the Jets — fully counting against the Jets cap — and then gets the guaranteed money from the next team as well.

In the end, both sides are right. Darnold is looking out for his future, and the Jets are looking out for the best interest of the future of the franchise. Don’t worry, tough, Jets fans, this impasse will end soon enough and their franchise quarterback will be on the field practicing and getting ready for the 2018 season.