New York Jets rookie quarterback Zach Wilson wasn’t at the start of training camp.
According to the New York Post, the second overall pick in the NFL draft didn’t arrive at camp because of an ongoing contract dispute. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
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The two major issues at play are offset language and when his bonus will be paid out. Offset language partially lets an NFL team off the hook for guaranteed money if a player is signed by a new team.
The team that signed the original deal is only responsible for the difference in guaranteed money. From the sounds of it, Wilson doesn’t want offset language and the Jets do.
Notably, Trevor Lawrence’s contract with the Jags didn’t feature it.
Per source, the #Jaguars just signed No. 1 overall pick Trevor Lawrence to a four-year, $36.8 million contract that includes a $24.1 million signing bonus.
The deal includes a fifth-year option and unprecedented language and payment structure.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) July 5, 2021
Getting into a contract dispute with your rookie quarterback seems like an incredibly stupid and unnecessary thing to do.
His signing bonus is fully guaranteed, which means delaying payment on it doesn’t make much sense. As for the offset language, Wilson’s contract is for less than $40 million over four years.
The Jets could eat that without any kind of issue if he gets cut after year two. So, again, there’s no reason for this dispute.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65kGmxhG4UM
Pay the man and get him on the field for training camp. This isn’t rocket science. It’s just football.