Why The NFL's Franchise Tag Is Unfair
Sports players are always criticized for wanting to leave teams to play elsewhere in all sports for their best interest, but owners have the power to trade, release, or keep a player if they feel it is in the best interest of their team.
Sports are always changing just like every other job in the world because of technology, new discoveries, new workplace problems, and so many other factors. People always give athletes heavy criticism for their lack of commitment after staying with a team for multiple contracts, but not meeting the ultimate goal of winning championships or making a lot of money. The athletes are people just like the ones who work minimum wage jobs or high paying jobs. The world revolves around money whether people like it or not because a person cannot survive without it.
Le'Veon Bell is a running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL and is a top player in the league at his position. His contract was coming to an end, so he and his agent negotiated with the Steelers to get one renewed. A running backs job is to run the ball, block, and sometimes catch the ball on a passing play. The Steelers utilize Bells talent and throw the ball to him and run it with him many times in a game. Bell is used more in a season than almost any player in the league due to his talent. He is the highlight of their offense, so he wanted to be paid a lot of money. The constant time and effort he must put into games each week are heavy and he also continues to be hit and tackled, which takes a heavy toll on the human body. The Steelers offered him a big contract but did not guarantee him enough money and that is the focus for Bell to get on his contract. The guaranteed money on a sports contract is money a player will receive if they play or not, and players want this in case they suffer a rough injury playing for their team that hurts their future play or ends their career. The Steelers kept using a Franchise Tag on Bell and that is where you pay him the average salaries of the top 5 running backs contracts in the league. The Tag is guaranteed, but it is only one-year deals and Bell wants a long term guaranteed deal. Bell ended up sitting out the whole season and not signing the franchise tag, so he did not get paid, but he did not take the physical punishment on his body. He will now become a free agent this spring to sign anywhere he wants in the league and he is hoping to get paid a heavy amount of guaranteed money.
Next, any person that is unhappy with their job or pay can search for another job if they do not have a contract. Contracts are extremely important in sports because players must stick with their team for at least an entire year. The issue is that a person at an everyday job can go find a new job to better themselves or they can just quit based on their status financially and try to better their career to make better money or gain more happiness. A person could also go to their bosses to request a raise or better treatment if they are experiencing problems in their workplace. People have problems every day that can hurt their workplace and individual well-being or mental health. When an athlete wants change based on problems in their workplace they get heavily judged on their request. They are called greedy or ungrateful just because they make so much money, but they are not enjoying their team or their role with their job. Athletes, however, cannot go to management and request a raise because they have a contract and they usually don't get their role or treatment changed to better their work environment unless the coaches make that decision. Most athletes enjoy playing the game they love, and they want to put on a show in front of the world and win championships, so money is not the only factor, but some people worked hard for the money they are eligible to receive to play these sports. They may have a big family or a lot of friends they want to take care of or things they want to do after their career with their money.
The Franchise Tag in the NFL is a problem because it forces a player to be paid money and not get long term guaranteed money. it also can be done to the same player multiple years in a row and keep them from going to a team of their choice and get the money and team role that they feel they earned. Everyday people have this freedom that athletes do not have and they do not know their situation on the team or at home behind closed doors. The franchise tag is a good feature the NFL offers because the team may not want to pay a player long term due to the salary cap of the team or the questioning the health of a player, but some teams like the Steelers continued to utilize multiple times due to the NFL rule. A player only has a shortened career because they can only play from 20-21 until the mid-thirties or early forties due to the physical toll the body endures during long seasons and practices.
I personally blame both Bell and Steelers in the situation, but I have noticed a lot of people blame Bell. Le'Veon is trying to live his life and get his money playing the game he loves. The Steelers could not get a deal done with him, so they franchised tagged him twice and he had no choice, but to either sign and play and risk a career ending injury or a shorter career due to playing, or he could sit out for no pay, but save his body for the future. Bell is risking his money and career by sitting out and not helping his team, but sometimes a person needs to do what is best for them and not everyone else.
