r/NFLNoobs • u/SwayzeExpress87 • 3d ago
JPJ
If JPJ was faking a back injury in PGH due to him not getting a new contract that he wants, why would he want to dress in Dallas without a new contract? Isn’t he facing the same risks in Dallas that he would in PGH?
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u/Adub1991 3d ago
Because at least DAL, along with majority of other NFL teams, have a track record of guaranteeing multiple years on contacts. So while yeah it is risky for playing without a contract, does not have to worry about being tagged by PIT.
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u/SwayzeExpress87 3d ago
So he’s okay risking blowing his knee out now even thing Dallas hasn’t given him a deal?
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u/Adub1991 2d ago
Yes. While the risk is similar, the reward is higher. Similar risk, higher reward.
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u/SwayzeExpress87 2d ago
What’s the difference in reward? He still needs a new contract?
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u/Adub1991 2d ago
He is not the first player to play out his rookie deal and possibly get an extension the following year and won't be the last. Like I said, the incentive is he actually gets multiple years guaranteed as Steelers majority of the time only guarantee the first yr. Not sure what the disconnect is with what I'm saying.
Also, he technically already dressed the first game and he was legit sick for TNF so not even understanding what you're trying to imply
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u/BrokenHope23 3d ago
Technically it's the "smart" decision by his agents (he has two).
Mike McCarthy implemented a new coaching regime and new coaching scheme, something that players on both sides of the ball in Pittsburgh have been chafing against due to it being ineffective, poorly practiced and it's rigid nature not allowing players to adjust to what they see on the field. Normally schemes like this cause players to have bad years and in the NFL, bad years can make a world of difference in contract talks.
Hence why JPJ wanted more guaranteed money in PIttsburgh; it's not the same Pittsburgh of yesteryears wherein a player would be given grace if the reasons for a poor year were apparent. The Head Coach and his staff enters Pittsburgh on the hot seat and when people are on the hot seat they have a tendency to blame everyone else around them in an effort to buy more time. Nothing close to giving a player grace.
So when we look at JPJ's contract options we have this:
A) he fakes sitting out injured the year and either hits free agency or gets his last year of his rookie contract reclaimed (granted, Pittsburgh technically wouldn't be allowed to because they didn't put him on the Non-Football Injury list to start the season but they could still make a case to do so given he was medically cleared for week 1) but more likely he gets franchise tagged. Pittsburgh knows what they've got in JPJ, they know how he plays, they know what kind of teammate he is really, they know how to help him succeed even if the new coaching staff is a bit aimless. They're the most likely team to understand the value in franchising JPJ even if he has a bad year.
B) he plays for another team and even if he plays poorly, he can just blame it on the scheme and not himself. Thus his price tag never goes down because teams are still evaluating him off his 2025 season and Dallas, believing he was a poor scheme fit, would let him walk instead of franchise tagging him. So he would in effect be able to hit Free Agency and get his own major contract one year sooner in theory.
I think it's a bit short sighted by JPJ and his camp though. He was in an ideal fit in Pittsburgh where he probably could've played till 33-35 years old or older, another 9+ years potentially, and played out every contract he signed. Even with a new HC, that's just the kind of team they are to maximize a player's capability. They're jumping the gun on McCarthy's tenure to get more upfront guarantees elsewhere when it could result in JPJ retiring at 30 with half the money he would've made in Pittsburgh. One of JPJ's agents is well known for extorting franchises any way he can but he's also incredibly short sighted. I wouldn't call it the wrong approach but he has no clue what good football is and what's a good situation for his client to land in, he's all comparative analysis and using every trick to get what he wants.
Which will now result in teams being wary of players who fake injury, being harder on players, owners coming together to not offer as many guarantees in contracts more than likely and some kind of push back on gross salary amounts because every year teams push more and more cap into the future with signing bonus' which inflates player's contracts but also makes the team uncompetitive quickly when the team is playing with a 10, 20, 30% handicap in salary cap at the expense of future salary for other players. That's another issue that only loosely compacts down into JPJ's wherein he's asking for an inflated amount and fully guaranteed when he hasn't shown he's worth either. Pittsburgh met him on the amount at least but not the guarantees allegedly. NFL teams have very little leverage in contract negotiations while the salary cap is more of a soft cap.
TL;DR Dallas offers JPJ plausible deniability if he sucks in their scheme, allowing him to reclaim his value in Free Agency with another team without a high risk of being franchise tagged. If he does do well then Dallas will also bend over to offer him a lot of money so their fans don't riot at trading a 2nd round pick for 3/4's of a season of play. They could franchise tag him (and save a little as the FT for CB's is around 22-24M next year, compared to his alleged asking price of 27M) but if he performs even average then the Cowboys won't be interested in sinking salary cap into his capability. So average to below average he gets the contract he wants in FA, above average or even better and he'll likely get the contract he wants in Dallas.
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u/SwayzeExpress87 2d ago
So playing in a top 5 defense that he’s familiar with that has a front 7 with Watt, Highsmith, Heyward, Benton, Herbig was worse than playing for a Dallas team that is getting shredded every week and ranks 32/32 in a bunch of major categories?
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u/BrokenHope23 2d ago
Financially in the short term, yes.
There's quite a few contending teams desperate for a #1 CB that will pay JPJ no matter what happens in Dallas but if he played another year in Pittsburgh and sucked (whether due to the new scheme, new coaches, poor practice, etc.), then suddenly there would be questions about if he's actually good enough as a #1 or if it's just Pittsburgh being Pittsburgh and having a player-friendly scheme. Even without considering whether or not Pittsburgh would let him go.
Granted, that's all centered around the player/agent theory that the only thing that matters is guaranteed money. It's based on truth; there is no guarantee your production will last in the NFL and often 4 year contracts will be cut to two years because a guy is no longer playing up to their cap # but Pittsburgh is a large exception; you play well and they can tell even if the results aren't there. Usually players that force their way out of Pittsburgh are guys who want to cash out of the league.
The one tidbit there is that Pittsburgh is changing from what it has been for the past 50 years. There's less accountability, more turnover, more internal politics, etc. that could very lead to a changing of culture for the team even if the GM who negotiates contracts remains the same.
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u/SwayzeExpress87 2d ago
So you’re saying he’d look better playing on a horrible defense than playing on a really good defense? I don’t understand. Dallas is getting absolutely shredded every week and is producing no pass rush and also can’t stop the run.
It will be much more challenging to look good there.
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u/BrokenHope23 2d ago
So you’re saying he’d look better
None of what I said mentions that.
If you screw up at your job then everyone blames you and you lose your job (in extreme cases). (Pittsburgh)
If your boss screws up so bad that you can't do your job and you lose it, then you will still likely be hired laterally at a similar pay rate by some other company, regardless of whether you actually did your job effectively or not. (Dallas)
It's a business decision not a football decision or even an entirely sensical decision.
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u/PCprime27 2d ago
It is no different as far as injury. I can see he felt more disrespect from Pittsburgh because he played for them. In Dallas play and prove it.
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u/HustlaOfCultcha 3d ago
Because PGH is notorious for not giving big contract extensions. Same issue happened to Leveon Bell, Pickens, etc.
Now he is with a team that will give a deal or he could possibly play well enough to either get a franchise tag or sign as a FA for the money he wants elsewhere. It's not particularly an honorable way to go about things, but I can see him miraculously recovering from his back injury.
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u/SwayzeExpress87 3d ago
In the last 12 months didn’t PGH give big contracts to DK, Washington, Benton, and Herbig?
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u/HustlaOfCultcha 2d ago
Yes they did, but it was a foregone conclusion that they weren't giving him a deal he wanted because they gave those deals out to those players.
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u/WishboneHot8050 3d ago
IMO, JPJ's real goal was an ASAP exit from PIT, not just a new LTD. Now in DAL, JPJ can bet on his own ROI, boost his FA value, and hope JJJ offers a big $$$ deal.