How long are rookie contracts in the NFL?
Take a look into for how long the rookie contracts last.
Follow Us
Patrick Mahomes drafted by the Chiefs (Image via CBS Sports)
The National Football League is one of the biggest sporting leagues in the world currently, having seen huge growth in the past decade both in terms of viewership and revenues earned. While marketing has played a big role in its ascent, the sport in itself has taken over as the United States of America’s number 1 sport, simply due to its sheer thrill.
This also begs a reason as to how the NFL has become a household sport in the country, which has also boosted the league’s sustainability over the years. The fact that the National Football League continues to spring up a bunch of exciting and talented footballers every year is also due to the sport’s exceptional grassroots programs.
Players who dream of playing in the NFL have to go through a rigorous phase early in their careers, which starts from playing football at the school and college levels. College football is an integral part of the NFL, as a player comes up through the ranks playing for their college teams, to grab the attention of the NFL franchises, who eagerly wait to nab them up during the NFL draft every year.
In case you missed:
Who is the lowest-drafted Hall of Famer in the NFL?
Rookie contracts in the NFL are generally four years long
Players drafted into the NFL, after going through four years of college football, are known as rookies and get the taste of high-action football amidst the best players of the sport. Rookies sign a rookie contract, the length of which typically lasts for four years with a further option to extend it for a fifth year, which is available to the franchise only at the completion of three years. The franchises have the benefit of adding a quality player with a minimal salary if they opt for the fifth-year contract extension option for the rookies.
Looking deeply into the concept of a rookie contract, there are two main branches – players who get drafted in the draft, and the remaining for those rookies, who fail to make the cut but do eventually get signed by the franchises as free agents. The contract awarded to drafted players is of four years, which has numerous added benefits to it for the player.
However, a binding that comes with the rookie contract is that players are not allowed to renegotiate the terms of the deal until after their third season, while undrafted players cannot do so after their second season in the NFL. The salary cap for rookies is changed every year, and franchises have to abide by the maximum and minimum amounts that can be spent on them, based on their positions.
Do follow us on: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Related : Who are the all-time highest-paid players in NFL history?
Related : NFL Waterboys Salary: How much do the Waterboys make in the NFL?
Stay Updated!
Somdeb
(2586 Articles Published)