On guaranteed contracts: I prefer fear of getting fired as a motivator for productive work

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – NFL players should get a bigger piece of the league pie, and the annual discussion about middling NBA players getting free-agent deals worth more than football stars should disappear.

But…

I’m not on board with fully guaranteed contracts.DollarSign

A short one like the three-year deal Kirk Cousins got was a win for him and for players. First round picks basically get four years guaranteed, but not ridiculous numbers. Second-rounders often get two years of certain money.

But even guaranteed three-year deals for everyone on a second contract would lead, I believe, to worse football.

The constant risk of a player not producing to match his getting fired, while not good for his blood pressure, is good for the game.

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Paul Kuharsky has covered the Tennessee Titans since 1996, first for The Tennessean, then ESPN.com and now independently at paulkuharsky.com. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee and one of the longest-tenured Titans beat reporters in the franchise's history.

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