The use of phony contract years is causing more harm than good as it creates false impressions about a player’s earnings. This issue was highlighted in the case of Alvin Kamara, who signed a contract with the Saints with the aim of raising the new-money average to $15 million. However, this was achieved by adding a fake final year worth $25 million. As he heads into the penultimate year of his deal with a $10.2 million base salary, Kamara and the team are struggling to negotiate an extension, which has not been successful yet.
The recent contract extension given to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey has made it even harder for Kamara to demand a higher salary with his own extension. McCaffrey’s deal raised his new-money average from $16 million to $19 million without any phony elements, making it difficult for Kamara to justify his request for a higher salary. Both McCaffrey and Kamara were drafted in 2017 and initially had similar impacts per touch, but McCaffrey started receiving the ball more frequently and has since excelled, winning offensive player of the year in 2023. Meanwhile, Kamara’s performance has declined in recent years, with his rushing average dropping below four yards and his yards per reception hitting a career-low last season.
Despite some improvement in financial gains for veteran running backs this year, there is still a significant disparity between what Kamara desires and what the Saints are willing to offer. This disconnect led to the unusual situation of Kamara attending mandatory minicamp only to leave abruptly. The issue of phony contract years is clearly causing challenges for players like Kamara in negotiating fair extensions and reflecting their true worth.
Phony contract years have become increasingly common in recent years as teams look for ways to keep their salaries under control while still providing players with incentives to perform at their best. However, this practice can be detrimental to players who are not aware that they will likely be cut before receiving their promised money.
The current situation with Alvin Kamara and the Saints highlights this problem perfectly. When Kamara signed his current contract, he was unaware that he would be cut after completing his fake final year worth $25 million. Now that he is heading into the penultimate year of his deal with a lower base salary than expected, negotiations for an extension have been unsuccessful so far.
This issue also raises questions about whether players should be held accountable for declining performance if they are being paid based on false information about their earnings potential.
In conclusion, phony contract years can cause significant problems for both teams and players alike. It is important that teams are transparent about their intentions when signing contracts and that players are fully informed about their earnings potential before signing on the dotted line.
The recent contract extensions given to Christian McCaffrey and other top running backs have only added fuel to this debate about fair compensation in football contracts. With many players looking forward to long careers in professional sports, it is crucial that they understand how these contracts work so they can make informed decisions about their future financial stability or risk being left high and dry by teams looking out only for themselves rather than the best interests of their star athletes
