Will Levis' contract has key detail that will play a big role in future deals
If your favorite team's front office hit a buzzer-beater in the form of signing their second round pick; or, if they haven't signed him yet – don't worry. Your favorite team's front office doesn't suck. 2023 has been quite different for second-round rookies. All across the league, there's been a revolution, of sorts, when it […]
If your favorite team's front office hit a buzzer-beater in the form of signing their second round pick; or, if they haven't signed him yet – don't worry. Your favorite team's front office doesn't suck.
2023 has been quite different for second-round rookies. All across the league, there's been a revolution, of sorts, when it comes to the guaranteed money involved with their contracts. Those taken in Round 2 have really pushed for a higher percentage of guaranteed money and a lot of them are succeeding. In fact, two remain unsigned because of the dominoes that have fallen over the last couple months.
Count Tennessee Titans rookie quarterback and second-round pick, Will Levis, as one of those successful rookies. Levis signed his contract on Saturday and, officially, it's a four-year deal worth $9,542,165. The key however, is the fact that 91.5% of his deal is guaranteed. According to KPRC2's Aaron Wilson, that's at least an 11% raise when comparing Levis' deal to what Logan Hall received as the 33rd overall pick in 2022.
Only 66.4% of Tyson Campbell's 2021 deal contained guaranteed money. Before him came Tee Higgins and his deal that included 66.7% in guarantees. Both players were obviously 33rd overall picks in their respective drafts.
Man. Talk about inflation.
In all seriousness, it's going to be interesting to see how this year's round of negotiations impact future negotiations with applicable players. An 11.14% raise, to be exact, sets quite the bar for future second-rounders and potentially beyond. Especially if we saw a 14% raise the year before.
And, obviously, everything caps out at 100% – you can't go any higher. How this final 8.5% is managed in the coming years will be crucial and it's nearly certain that will also impact how things ultimately play out.
Who knows? Maybe we'll eventually live in a world where all NFL contracts are guaranteed. Until then, players are going to have to keep playing -and changing- the game. So far, it's safe to say their winning – but the battle is far from over.
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It is ridiculous.
Featured image via Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
