Retirement Clause

[Dwayne Bowe]

Proposal:
I propose that we add a retirement clause to the rulebook.  My suggestion would be that the player's salary gets removed from the owner's sheet, regardless of the number of years left on the contract.  In recent memory the NFL had two "shocking" retirements by Andrew Luck and Luke Kuechly, both still in the prime of their careers.  (I am aware that I am making this proposal, in part, because I am affected by the Kuechly retirement.)  In the real league, when a player retires they forfeit the remainder of their contract...ie. "Andrew Luck is giving up $58.125 million left on his contract" when he retired last year.

Some may argue "if you sign an old guy for 4 years then yeah you should be stuck with the contract".  I agree that signing Frank Gore to a 4 year contract would be asking for trouble, but when guys in the prime of their careers (both Luck and Luke retired when they were 29/30 ish) then that argument is no longer valid.

 

[BSB]

When Calvin Johnson retired several years ago I had to buy him out to get him off the books. Players do retire and comeback (Gronk ?). It's no different than a season ending injury to a player on a one year contact. The only exception to this type of this thing has been if a player dies.

[Moorestown Big Dogs]

As Andrew Luck's owner at the time of his retirement (with a much costlier contract than Kuechly) I know the pain that these retirements cause. I would amend your clause to read "When a player retires his contract immediately gets reduced to a 1 year contract."

This way, if the Andrew Luck circumstance occurs again at the end of August, I would have been able to buy him out, and use half of his contract amount to try to upgrade my squad (although since it happened after the Free Agent frenzy had finished, there wasn't a lot left to sign). If it happened before we have to announce re-signs, I simply would not have re-signed him as his 2 year deal (or 3 or 4) would have been reduced to a 1 year.

BSB makes a legitimate argument that retirements are not necessarily permanent (Gronk) but my amendment takes care of the season ending injury for a one year contract being an issue. And I know that LeVeon Bell's choice not to play was equally painful even though he did not retire, but I still support the idea that this is worth adding.

[Dwayne Bowe]

I see season ending injuries as much different than a retirement. Injury is part of the game, while a retirement the player no longer plays the game! Yes, occasionally guys come back... but in those cases they would still just become free agents, or we could follow the league and make it more difficult by having the owner keep their rights.... Gronk retired, pats got off of his 2019 cap hit, but when he came back they still owned his rights for one more season because that was what was left on his contract when he retired.

I could also live with Moores idea of dropping it to a one year. I think some sort of rule needs to be out in place and it won’t even affect me because my situation will be “grandfathered” into the old rule. Luke’s retirement only made me realize that it isn’t good practice to not have a rule for retirements.

[CFL Rejects]

Disagree entirely, if you sign a player to a long term contract that is the risk you take. Shouldn't make it any easier than it is to get out of a contract.

[Dwayne Bowe]

And how does that mirror the real leagues in any way? If a player retires the team is no longer obligated to pay them any money and the cap hit is removed.