There’s been a whole bunch made about the absurd amount of cash thrown around to NBA players in the form of guaranteed contracts this summer.
First, it was Stephen Curry signing the richest contract in Association history. Then, James Harden inked the largest extension in the history of the game. The two now have a combined $400-plus million in guaranteed salaries.
As the NBA continues to increase in popularity and contract numbers go up, NFL players are taking exception. Why aren’t they getting their fair share of the pie? What can the NFLPA do?
Well, if you ask one Richard Sherman, he seems to have a reasonable stance on the topic. Players should be willing to strike if they want to fix the issues surrounding guaranteed contracts in the NFL.
“Oh, 100 percent,” Sherman said, via ESPN. “If we want as the NFL, as a union, to get anything done, players have to be willing to strike. That’s the thing that guys need to 100 percent realize.”
The issue here is that the NFLPA and NFL agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement back in 2011. It won’t expire until the end of the 2020 season.
For Sherman’s part, he seems to understand the nuances of collective bargaining in a professional sports setting.
“You’re going to have to miss games, you’re going to have to lose some money if you’re willing to make the point, because that’s how MLB and NBA got it done,” Sherman continued. “They missed games, they struck, they flexed every bit of power they had, and it was awesome. It worked out for them.”
Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr inked the largest contract in league history calling for $125 million over five seasons. It included just $40 million fully guaranteed.
For comparison’s sake, 21 free agents received $40-plus million in guaranteed money around the NBA this summer.
Whether a strike comes to fruition remains to be seen. But the NFLPA under executive director DeMaurice Smith has been marginalized by the league powers in New York City, commissioner Roger Goodell included. If a work stoppage is what it takes to make a point, Sherman seems to be all for it.