The Cincinnati Bengals allowed free agent forward Lael Collins to leave Cincinnati after a visit that lasted several days. Many expected a deal to go through, but so far it seems Collins is weighing his options.
It looks like former Bengals forward Willie Anderson, who worked with Collins, can shed a little more light on the subject:
It’s all about the structure of the contract. Not money
— Willie Anderson (@BigWillie7179) March 20, 2022
NFL contracts are much more complex than any of them presented. You often hear about players signing three-year contracts worth around $30 million and you assume that the player will be making $10 million per season. The truth is that this rarely happens.
Things like no-trade clauses, guaranteed money, bonuses and other factors play a bigger role than comparing two contracts that have the same number of years.
Collins has some concerns that many Bengals fans have overlooked, but which could be a major concern for NFL teams. In October 2020, he underwent hip surgery. He was also suspended by the NFL for allegedly missing a mandatory drug test and trying to bribe a tester.
It’s no surprise that an NFL team like the Bengals included some language in their contract to protect themselves from something that comes out of it.
Of course, none of us, other than those who are actually negotiating, are aware of the real obstacles holding this deal back. Let’s hope Collins and the Bengals eventually agree on terms. It will be interesting to see how the rest of his visits go.