The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced their first-round draft pick, quarterback Jameis Winston, on Friday and also made the somewhat surprising announcement that Winston has already signed his contract. Winston's deal is a four-year contract worth $25.35 million, including a $16.7 million signing bonus, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network.
Jameis Winston has already signed his rookie contract with Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers introduced Jameis Winston and announced that he’s already signed his contract.
Phil Sears-USA TODAY Sports
Of course, this would be a much-bigger deal a few years ago, before the 2011 collective bargaining agreement put in place a rookie wage scale. Since that was established, there’s very little to actually negotiate when it comes to rookie contracts, as they’re crafted based on draft positioning and are all standard four-year contracts.
In previous years, any number of things could hold up a contract. Even good deals were ignored early on in the post-draft process, as players wanted to wait and see what other players drafted around them and at their position managed to sign with their new teams. Disputes about a player’s value didn’t often lead to rookie holdouts, but they did happen from time to time.
The only things that agents are able to negotiate at this point include off-setting language -- a team’s ability (or inability) to reclaim guaranteed money if a player is released and signs with another team -- and the way bonuses are paid out (whether they come in installments, when they come etc.).
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