When Braves star center fielder Ronald Acuna inked an eight-year extension worth $100 million Tuesday, the baseball world gasped at the team-friendly nature of the deal. It was taken as another sign of MLB's broken economic landscape, where young All-Stars are buying out their arbitration and free agent years due to an apparent lack of faith in the market.
But Tom Brady had an entirely different reaction, speaking to the gross financial disparities that football players face in comparison to their peers. In response to a tweet from ex-teammate Aqib Talib, the Patriots' QB joked he's been trying to get back in touch with the Expos in recent weeks. For those who don't know, the Expos drafted Brady in the 18th round of the 1995 MLB Draft as a catcher.
TB12 opted to play quarterback at Michigan instead, and things worked out.
I've been trying to get the Expos back on the line for the past month! https://t.co/pXohflCmhW
— Tom Brady (@TomBrady) April 3, 2019Nobody is crying poverty for Brady, of course. He's earned more than $227 million during his NFL career not counting endorsements or other extracurricular projects. Talib has banked nearly $72 million, according to Spotrac.
But these public reactions from NFL stars to depressed baseball contracts show professional football players are becoming more attune to the relative lack of money they receive in a league that generates more than $14 billion in revenue annually. The absence of guaranteed contracts means most players are constantly fighting for their survival, regardless of their track records.
In recent years, we're starting to see more football players take matters into their own hands. Le'Veon Bell, jilted at being franchised for the second straight season, sat out all of the 2018 campaign. He did turn down a $70 million contract from the Steelers last summer, but the deal only included $33 million in guarantees, which were slated to be paid during the first two years.
The star running back still signed a lesser deal with the Jets, which could pay him a maximum of $52.5 million and $35 million in guarantees. But he didn't risk injury for a one-year commitment. If Bell played last season, there's a chance he wouldn't have been in position to accept a lucrative multi-year deal.
The risk of playing on the franchise tag is the reason safety Earl Thomas refused to practice for the Seahawks last season. But he still fractured his leg in game action, propelling him to flip the bird to the coaches on the Seattle sideline. The veteran inked a contract with the Ravens worth $32 million in free agency, so the injury didn't seem to affect his earning potential. But it came awfully close.
Antonio Brown, Bell's former teammate, didn't allow himself to get close to a franchise tag situation. He demanded more money from the Steelers, despite having three years left on his deal. Brown received a $20 million raise from the Raiders following the trade.
Brady's BFF, Julian Edelman, should take some notes from Brown and try to force the Patriots' hand this offseason. Edelman is only slated to make $2 million in base salary this year, which pales in comparison to the money thrown at inferior targets such as Adam Humphries ($19 million guaranteed) and Cole Beasley ($14.4 million guaranteed).
The average NFL career only lasts about 3.3 years. Players must maximize their earning windows, and if a star quarterback Brady is on board with that message, labor may finally have some power at the league bargaining table.
