Darnold and his agent were seeking language to protect Darnold's guaranteed money from being voidedGETTY IMAGES
The Jets and rookie QB Sam Darnold today are "expected to reach an agreement" on a four-year, $30.2M rookie contract that had been held up by "default language pertaining to the guaranteed money," according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. The Jets had proposed that Darnold's entire $20M guarantee "would void if he was fined or suspended by the NFL for disciplinary reasons on or off the field" (ESPN.com, 7/30). THE ATHLETIC's Connor Hughes reported the Jets and CAA's Jimmy Sexton, who reps Darnold also were "butting heads" over offset language in the deal. Offset language deals with the "guaranteed money of a contract but comes into play only if a player is released before the guaranteed money of his contract is paid out." A source said that offset language is a "point of negotiation largely with players picked in the top half of the first round." Most top-five picks "do not have offset language in their contracts," though No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield's deal with the Browns "included offset language" (THEATHLETIC.com, 7/27). In N.Y., Manish Mehta noted offsets "provide teams with protection in case the player is cut within the first three years of the contract," and the Jets have had a "long-standing policy to include offsets." Sources said that Sexton was "privately fuming" at Mayfield's camp for agreeing to offsets "because it weakened Sexton's leverage" with Darnold. However, Bills QB Josh Allen, who is also repped by CAA but not Sexton, "'made it known' to his reps that he didn't want to miss any practices." He "signed before the Bills' first practice" and his deal "also includes offsets" (NYDAILYNEWS.com, 7/28).
AT A CROSSROADS: With Darnold signing with the Jets, Bears LB Roquan Smith remains the only unsigned '18 draft pick, and in Chicago, Rich Campbell wrote the contract impasse between the team and Smith "centers on language governing whether Smith's guaranteed money could be reclaimed by the team if he were to be suspended under the new NFL rule that prohibits a player from initiating contact with his helmet." Sources said that Smith's reps at CAA are "asking the Bears to include in the contract a written assurance that the team would not go after any of Smith's guaranteed money if he were suspended under the new rule." The Bears so far have "resisted putting that specific protection in writing" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/29).
