Redskins player takes shot at NFL contracts
Washington Redskins safety Duke Ihenacho is not happy about the contracts being handed out during NBA free agency this week. Ihenacho is taking exception with basketball players getting so much money for their services while the bulk of NFL players make a fraction of those salaries.
Ihenacho took to Twitter to express his frustrations on Friday, as evidenced by ESPN’s article.
All this guaranteed money NBA throwing. Meanwhile the NFL, which generates the most money wont even make the league minimum $1M
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
Yes $1M minimum. That means every single player's salary in the NFL should start there. Highest risk of injury..brain trauma, richest league
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
No security in football. Obviously unless you hit the lick.
— Duke Ihenacho (@DukeIhenacho) July 1, 2015
Frankly, Ihenacho is correct. The NBA salaries are insane when compared to the normal NFL player. Consider that Al Farouq-Aminu just got more guaranteed money in his contract than Jamaal Charles. Want another example? How about Jimmy Butler getting more than Peyton Manning or Tom Brady?
Ihenacho’s comments are going to come off as some greedy rich dude popping off over social media, but he’s on the mark. In the NBA, you get paid a boatload for being some mediocre, run-of-the-mill talent. You also don’t have the concerns of getting hurt because your entire contract is guaranteed and the injury risks are much smaller in basketball than they are in football.
However, Ihenacho also has to realize that the NFL has 53-man rosters, so why the league is richer than the NBA, it also has a bevy of employees by comparison. The salaries aren’t that bad when compared in totality, it’s the guaranteed money that is the real sticking point here.
This has been a problem for decades and DeMaruice Smith needs to address it as the head of the NFLPA. Smith needs to be ready for a strike and dig his heels in, because the owners are not going to guarantee contracts without a huge fight. Still, if the NFLPA is really united on this front, it will happen.