“Comparison is the thief of joy”: Chad Johnson gives blunt reality check to Nico Iamaleava after $4M conflict makes him leave Tennessee

Former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava was one of the most hyped QBs in the nation last season as the Volunteers had one of the best seasons in recent history under coach Josh Heupel. Reports emerged on Friday that Iamaleava had a NIL dispute, with Tennessee seeking a pay bump from $2.4 million to $4 million.

The situation moved quickly, with the quarterback not showing up for Friday training due to the dispute, after which Heupel decided to cut his losses, and Iamaleava jumped into the transfer portal.

During Tuesday's segment of NightCap, outspoken analyst Chad Johnson gave his take on the Nico Iamaleava saga (1:56).

"Comparison is the thief of joy, every time," Chad Johnson said. "Tennessee's quarterback, when it comes to the rankings of QBs last year, Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck, Cam Ward. I'm just asking, I understand NIL is a good thing, but if you are what you think you are, then they wouldn't have any problem, paying you what you're worth. They've seen what Carson Beck has done at Georgia.

"He was able to get what he wants in Miami. If you want a pay raise, then what you do, up on the field. It's pretty easy, especially now that they allow you to pay players in college. If your player is that spectacular that you feel you need a bump from $2.4 to $4 million, then your player would show exactly why he needs that bump. He didn't come to practice, he didn't show up and they moved on from him, what does that tell you?"

---

Tennessee moves on from Nico Iamaleava

According to an ESPN report, in 2022, Nico Iamaleava signed an unprecedented NIL deal with the Tennessee Volunteers' NIL collective, Spyre Sports Group, worth $8 million over his college football career with coach Josh Heupel's team.

He was locked in contract negotiations with the Vols after quarterbacks like Carson Beck with the Miami Hurricanes and Darian Mensah with the Blue Devils negotiated higher NIL deals in the past few weeks.

After the Vols' spring game on Saturday, Heupel was defiant about the Iamaleava situation when speaking to reporters.

"We're moving on as a program without him," Heupel said. "There's nobody bigger than the 'Power T."

Nico Iamaleava is already limited in the number of programs he can join, as a Southeastern Conference agreement means he cannot transfer to a school in the conference in the spring portal. He will have three years of eligibility wherever he lands.