Can NFL rookie contracts be renegotiated?

The 2011 CBA (collective bargaining agreement) limited bargaining possibilities and reduced payments for rookies selected in the NFL draft, particularly those selected in the first round.

As all rookie agreements are four years in length (even for talented players who seem grossly underpaid), such a contract can only be renegotiated after three years have passed.

Most importantly, regardless of the agency or the organization, player remuneration is established and known the moment a player is selected. The contract's financial terms (the four-year value, signing bonus, and salary) cannot be negotiated.

Simply put, until after the final regular-season game of the third contractual year, rookie agreements for drafted players cannot be renegotiated. Undrafted rookies are not allowed to change their contracts until after their second season.

As first-year agreements are no longer heavily negotiated, some new players do not need representatives, giving organizations more leeway in decisions. To reduce the number of excessively expensive deals for players who aren't guaranteed success, the NFL now uses a rookie pay scale for new players.

The new rookie contract structure is stiffer for players chosen in the NFL draft. Now, a four-year deal is typically offered to every newcomer. Rookies do have a fifth-year option but are unable to negotiate the value of this.

Each team has the option to accept or reject the player's fifth-year option once the player completes his third consecutive year in the NFL (under the terms of their original rookie contract).

How the rookie wage scale works in the NFL

The 2011 CBA was the first to introduce a rookie salary scale, drastically cutting early first-round selection wages and altering the window for contract renewals.

All draft selections in the league agree to a four-year contract, as mentioned above, and teams are limited in how much they may spend on their picks. All drafted rookies must fall inside the team's overall rookie salary cap as rookie earnings vary from draft to draft. The base pay for rookies in 2022 was $660,000.

There is limited room for adjustments in bonuses and components like signing and roster bonuses, which has reduced conflicts between players and organizations signing rookie contracts.