I think the nature of professional sports dictates that it's OK for a team to cut a player because you have to perform to be in the professional sport, and if you don't perform, you don't belong.

Fans understand this, especially because they want their teams to win, and they understand that you can't have poor performers on your team and win, or at least not win as much as they could.

I get it. But teams are never withholding guaranteed money. In fact that guaranteed money was put into escrow on day 1 when the contract was signed in the first place.

Football is such a tough sport to play precisely because of the wear and tear and way contracts are structured. I don’t begrudge anyone for seeking out as much money as they can get as these guys earn it.

If you were as good at your job as he is, you could do it

It's generally the player's only leverage. It hurts the team, but it also hurts the player's pocketbook. I don't have an opinion on it, other than to say, it's just business. :shrug:

“He signed the contract he should show up and play”

“He should just sign for what the chiefs are offering and not try to maximize his money and contract”

That seems contradictory

Are you familiar with at-will employment? We all have the right to quit our current jobs. It just means we won’t be paid and there might be other limitations (non-competes, etc).

Must be nice to ignore an entire conversation so everyone can explain it just for you a 2nd time.

Teams don't honor contracts all the time...if a team can cut a guy 2 years into a 10 year deal to not pay him I don't fault a player for doing what they need to do to gain leverage.

Fans almost always side with teams because they are a fan of said team, if you were that player, you would do exactly the same thing.

Well CJ doesn't have a ton of options here. He is under contract to make around $20MM minus the fines he keeps accumulating.

Sure he doesn't have to honor the contract I guess, he not get paid and not accrue service time while doing it.

If they are legit far apart it's more for next year, if the rest of the league knows he's disgruntled it makes a franchise tag harder.

Obviously this is a seriously hyperbolic example, but stop acting like there aren't repercussions to cutting players in the middle of contracts.

Its not a one way street, signing bonuses are still paid, cap hits, dead $ etc....its not like teams just do whatever they want without it making an impact.

Last I checked Jones was on track to make $80MM of an $80MM contract sorrect?

Sure but it's a 2 way street, teams cut guys cause they don't wanna pay them all the time.

Yes they do, 100% of the time!

It's in the contract that they can be cut at anytime and the player is only guaranteed the guaranteed money.

Because it says exactly this IN THE CONTRACT.

Most of the time it’s either expected at the time of signing or the player isn’t living up to the contract he signed. I have no issues with either.

Rarely the player is cut that is living up to the contract strictly do to financial reasons. It happens and yes, it is kind of BS.