Upshaw Says Union Won't Agree to Rookie Wage Scale

Executives from NFL teams again have raised the idea in recent weeks of imposing a rookie wage scale, so that less money is directed to players just entering the league and more is given to established veterans under the salary cap system.

But Gene Upshaw, the executive director of the NFL Players Association, says the union won't agree to such a system.

He says rookies' salaries already face enough restrictions from the rookie cap, a salary cap that each team has for its rookies within the overall salary cap, and limitations on the length of rookies' contracts.

"Every spring, the buzz from general managers is, 'We need to fix rookie compensation,' " Upshaw writes in a statement posted on the union's website. "We addressed this issue by limiting rookie pool growth and fixing the maximum number of years a rookie could sign. The length of contracts severely limits players' ability to move money into future years. What the media doesn't report is that the rookie pool is part of the overall salary cap, and a player is only a rookie for one season. Clubs want the players to pay for mistakes teams make in drafting. We'll never agree to a rookie wage scale in such a short-career sport."

By Mark Maske |  April 28, 2008; 4:32 PM ET  | Category:  Draft , League
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