Imagine the day when any Average Joe could walk into their boss’s office and demand more money. If refuted, that worker would then threaten to stay at home until their demands are met, all while still collecting a paycheck. In 99 percent of the businesses across the globe, if a worker staged that type of sit-out, they’d be taken off the payroll immediately. After all, in today’s work environment, most people know they’re underpaid, but feel fortunate just to have a job.
This isn’t the case in the NFL, nor most professional sports, where money flows freely like the chocolate river in “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Contracts are essentially written with invisible ink.
Every offseason, teams encounter situations with certain players who feel they’re vastly underpaid compared to others. Thus is the case with New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis. Here’s the thing about Revis though: He deserves to be paid more.
After each one of the Jets 23 games last season, head coach Rex Ryan threw more compliments in Revis’ direction than a pickup artist at Ladies’ Night. Ryan would often call Revis the top defensive player in the game. The third-year pro earned that praise through stellar work against some of the top wide receivers in the league, including Randy Moss, Andre Johnson, Chad Johnson and the rest of the opposing teams’ number-ones.
So far, Revis has played out three years on his six-year rookie deal and is due $1 million this season. The highest paid cornerback in the league, Oakland’s Nnamdi Asomugha, signed a three-year, $45.3 million extension last off-season. That averages out to over $14 million more than Revis is scheduled to earn in 2010-11.
There are reasons why players want new contracts after productive seasons. The shelf life of an average NFL player is about three years. Since most contracts are not guaranteed, aside from signing bonuses, if Revis were to suffer a serious injury this year, he’d likely miss out on ever receiving a much larger transfer to his bank account. Essentially, the players want the money not so they don’t have to worry about their financial future.
While many players often do stay home during this monetary tug-of-war, Revis is not one of them. Revis showed up to camp, participated in most drills — he sat out a few plays citing “sickness” — and has begun bonding with teammates, including recent first-round draft pick, cornerback Kyle Wilson. He understands the risks of getting injured this time of year, but also realizes he is under contract and this team is set on reaching the Super Bowl.
The Jets nor Revis have put an exact figure on how much he’s looking for; we just know it has to be more than Asomugha’s deal. A few months ago, it was reported at $20 million a year, but that notion was shot down. General manager Mike Tannenbaum, according to Revis, told him earlier this offseason that he should be the highest paid corner. Tannenbaum hasn’t denied saying that, which means, if true, it’s leverage for Revis. The latest reported proposal featured no guaranteed money, which Revis called an “insult.”
The Jets should pay their 24-year-old star. He’s gotten better each year, to the point where he’s now regarded as the top cornerback in the game — by others outside the Jets organization, as well. Revis has also shown that he’s not selfish by staging a holding out, which would not only hurt himself but his teammates, too.
What’s funny about the Revis situation is the complete opposite is going on in Washington. Now imagine that same worker mentioned in the lede being given a monumental paycheck, only he doesn’t like some of the changes going on in the office, so he continues to collect, while staying home. That shows nothing but selfishness.
Albert Haynesworth became one of the highest paid defensive lineman in NFL history before last season. The Redskins handed him a seven-year, $100 million contract with about $41 million guaranteed. Since putting his signature on the papers, Haynesworth has collected about $32 million of that guaranteed money.
In his first season with Washington, Haynesworth’s performance was mediocre. He missed four games due to injury while compiling four sacks and 29 tackles — definitely not worth that lucrative deal. As his on-field execution dwindled, Haynesworth began to pass the blame around, including on defensive coordinator Greg Blanche, who he said wasn’t using him properly in the team’s schemes.
But change came once again to the nation’s capital. This time, future Hall of Famer Mike Shanahan was brought in. Instead of embracing the change though, Haynesworth continues to pout. Now he says he doesn’t like playing in a 3-4 defensive set, rather than the 4-3 Jim Zorn used last season. In March, Haynesworth asked for a trade. The Redskins said if he could find a suitor before April 1, when he was due a $21 million roster bonus, he could go. If a trade couldn’t be worked out, he’d collect that money and have to show up to mandatory camp. A trade never happened, Haynesworth saw his bank account increase and now he’s nowhere to be found while his teammates are hard at work.
Washington is trying to get back a large portion of that roster bonus and can fine him about $10,000 each day he misses minicamp practice. His non-presence is also widely noticed by his teammates, many of whom have publicly called Haynesworth “selfish.” Phillip Daniels, one of the most consistent and well-regarded defensive ends in the business, went as far as to say he “turned his back on us.”
Haynesworth could learn from Revis. On one hand, you have a player who wants to get paid, but still shows up at camp because he knows it’s best for his team’s future. On the other, you have someone who has been paid an enormous amount of money, but is narrow-minded enough to not care about his teammates or helping his team get better. If Haynesworth were to simply give back the money and ask for a release from his contract, the Redskins would absolutely grant his wish.
This is less a story of one underpaid and one overpaid football player. Instead, it’s about how someone who works as hard as anyone at his position, and is successful, can show class, while the other has displays anything but.