Dear NFL Veteran Players:
On April 22, 2010 the NFL will conduct its annual draft and once again the 32 players selected in the first round will become multi-millionaires before they have played a single down in the NFL.
In last years draft, the first 32 players selected received $462 million in guaranteed bonuses. Another $100 million in signing bonuses was paid out to players drafted in rounds two through six. This does not include salaries or other performance bonuses that these players will potentially earn through the duration of their contracts.
It is disappointing that this system of rewarding unproven players with guaranteed bonuses has been allowed to continue for another year. Player agents are also reaping the benefits of the current system and do not want to see it change. If bonuses were standardized, there would be no need for a player agent to get paid for negotiating that part of a contract. Last year player agents received approximately 14 million just from the bonus portion of the 32 rookies selected in the first round. We are concerned that player agents might have some influence over the NFLPA and its decision to continue this system. There was a clear conflict of interest when Gene Upshaw was at the helm and was represented by player agent Tom Condon. We hope that DeMaurice Smith is not influenced by the power, privilege and perks that these agents and their agencies have wielded in the past.
As you know, the NFLPA and the NFL were unable to come to an agreement on increasing retired player pensions. The NFL proposed a new rookie wage scale for this year’s draft, with players paid a fixed amount based on draft slot. The NFLPA countered with its own rookie salary proposal, but tied it to an extension of the current CBA. The savings generated from either of those proposals could have been used to boost retired player’s pensions by $100 million annually. There were also discussions on using some of the savings generated by the rookie wage cap to improve veteran player salaries. We think that is a proposal worth fighting for and we would be honored to be part of any Team that includes that in their Game Plan.
The NFLPA has stated that it wants to increase pre-1993 player pensions by establishing a “Legacy” fund, but they want the NFL owners to fund it with “new” money. We have been told by the NFLPA that if there is no “new” money there will be no increase in retired player pensions or benefits.
It is apparent that the NFLPA does not want the money to come out of the 60% of revenues that owners have been providing, because under the current system any money that is set aside for retired player benefits takes away from what active players can give themselves in salary and benefits.
While we are grateful for the previous increases to retired player’s pensions, the donations to the PAT and Dire Need Funds and the new benefits provided through the NFL Alliance, we know that more can be done to help the pioneers of the NFL, particularly those players that had no meaningful NFL Disability Plan and have had to struggle with medical bills that have negatively affected their finances. The current NFL Disability plan does not cover most of the former players and as such, a substantial increase in the pension plan is the best way to address the “quality of life” for professional football players that laid the foundations of the NFL.
We are concerned that instead of increasing the Pension Plan to help ALL vested players, the NFLPA has established other “retirement type” accounts and benefits that are only available to post 1993 players. Five free years of medical benefits after retirement and a Health Reimbursement Account are wonderful benefits that post 1993 players enjoy. The Annuity Plan and the Second Career Savings Accounts have approximately 1.5 Billion in assets. Those plans have only been in effect since 1998 and 1993 respectively, but the combined assets of those two plans are already greater than the assets of the NFL Pension Plan – which has been in existence for over 50 years! The NFL Pension Plan has approximately $927,400,000 in assets based on the most recent reports.
You can see why NFL owners are reluctant to provide “new” money. If the NFL owner’s payments to the Annuity Plan and Second Career Savings Plan had been put into the Pension Plan to help ALL vested players, we would not be having this discussion today and we would not be writing this letter.
Don’t let anybody tell you it’s not NFL owner money that goes into the Pension Plan and benefit packages. DeMaurice Smith recently said “individual owners and teams have spent exactly nothing on retired player benefits.” Mr. Smith may not like a portion of the salary cap money going towards retired players instead of active players, but as the Executive Director of the NFLPA he should at least understand where the money comes from. The fact is, all retirement funds for both active and retired players come from owner money allocated under the league’s salary cap. In 2008 this amounted to $23 million in benefits per team, or $736 million. Only $80 million of that $736 million is currently being paid out to retirees – or their beneficiaries because they have died. Former players are dying at a rate of about 130 per year. Let’s help those that are still with us, live with the dignity and pride of knowing that veteran players have stood up for them.
To his credit, Mr. Smith has stated that “We have a moral obligation to the retired players, we have a fiduciary obligation to the retired players. That obligation has to be both in words and deeds. If you fail in either one, you fail.” Nonetheless, we all know that actions speak louder than words.
Please tell DeMaurice Smith, the NFLPA Executive Committee and your individual team Player Representatives that you want them to follow through on their fiduciary obligation to the retired players.
The NFL owners and the NFL Players Association have discussed ways to pay for a Pension plan increase and a veteran player wage increase.
We don’t care how they get it done………we just hope that you, as veteran players, can convince them to get it done!
Sincerely,
NFL Hall of Fame Enshrined Players
Joe Delamielleure Class of 2003
Anthony Munoz Class of 1998
Art Donovan Class of 1968
Art Shell Class of 1989
Bart Starr Class of 1977
Billy Shaw Class of 1999
Bob Brown Class of 2004
Bob Lilly Class of 1980
Bob St. Clair Class of 1990
Bruce Smith Class of 2009
Carl Eller Class of 2004
Charlie Sanders Class of 2007
Charlie Taylor Class of 1984
Dan Dierdorf Class of 1996
Dan Fouts Class of 1993
Dan Hampton Class of 2002
Dan Marino Class of 2005
Dave Casper Class of 2002
Dave Wilcox Class of 2000
Dwight Stephensen Class of 1998
Elvin Bethea Class of 2003
Eric Dickerson Class of 1999
Floyd Little Class of 2010
Fran Tarkenton Class of 1986
Franco Harris Class of 1990
Fred Biletnikoff Class of 1988
Fred Dean Class of 2008
Gale Sayers Class of 1977
Gino Marchetti Class of 1972
Harry Carson Class of 2006
Herb Adderley Class of 1980
Jack Ham Class of 1988
Jack Youngblood Class of 2001
Jackie Smith Class of 1983
Jan Stenerud Class of 1983
Jerry Rice Class of 2010
Jim Kelly Class of 2002
Jim Taylor Class of 1976
Jim Langer Class of 1987
John Elway Class of 2004
John Hannah Class of 1991
John Henry Johnson Class of 1987
John Stallworth Class of 2002
Kellen Winslow Class of 1995
Ken Houston Class of 1986
Larry Little Class of 1993
Lawrence Taylor Class of 1999
Lee Roy Selmon Class of 1995
Lem Barney Class of 1992
Len Dawson Class of 1987
Lenny Moore Class of 1975
Leroy Kelly Class of 1983
Mel Blount Class of 1989
Mel Renfro Class of 1996
Mike Ditka Class of 1988
Mike Haynes Class of 1997
Mike McCormack Class of 1984
Mike Munchak Class of 2001
Nick Buoniconti Class of 2001
Paul Hornung Class of 1986
Paul Krause Class of 1998
Randal McDaniel Class of 2009
Randy White Class of 1994
Rayfield Wright Class of 2006
Raymond Berry Class of 1973
Rod Woodson Class of 2009
Ronnie Lott Class of 2000
Ron Yary Class of 2001
Roger Wehrli Class of 1983
Sam Huff Class of 1982
Sonny Jurgenson Class of 1983
Stan Jones Class of 1991
Ted Hendricks Class of 1990
Thurman Thomas Class of 2007
Tom Mack Class of 1999
Tommy McDonald Class of 1998
Tony Dorsett Class of 1994
Willie Brown Class of 1984
Willie Davis Class of 1981
Yale Larry Class of 1979
With all due respect, DeMaurice Smith is late in noting the NFLPA’s moral obligation to retired players. Four years ago, Fourth & Goal challenged the assertion of Smith’s predecessor, Gene Upshaw, that the union had no legal obligation to retired players. Fourth & Goal contended that, while the NFLPA may have no legal obligation to retired players, it did indeed have a moral obligation. Within two days, Upshaw had integrated Fourth & Goal’s statement into his remarks and statements.
WOW! What a testimonial to have signed by AFL and NFL greats. If modern players have any sense of history and fairness, they will take this letter to heart, and tell their ‘leaders’ at the NFLPA to finally right the wrongs that the builders of tha game continue to suffer.
Just going home from the 2nd Annual Independent Retired Players Summit in Las Vegas, and this sentiment was expressed repeatedly by the former players in attendance.
What a disgrace!! The NFL stands alone in the selfish disparity that the league has lodged against the pioneers of the game… where would the league be without them – No where! Why do we never hear about the same disgraces afforded to the players of the NHL, NBA or MLB – why not?? Maybe because the NFL is the only professional league to treat their former players with such a lack of respect and appreciation. Shame on the NFLPA – they should learn from their mistakes, they still have time to turn a wrong into a right…imagine the positive publicity and support of those that got them to where they are today.
MY DAD IS BUD SUTTON , PLAYED 48 49 BILLS , 50 -54 EAGLES AND ARMY IN WWII, WITH OUT THE OLD PLAYER THEIR MIGHT NOT BE TODAYS PLAYERS, MY DAD GOT PAID 5000.00 A YEAR, NOT 5,000,000.00 ++++++ A YEAR LIKE TODAY, WE SHOULD HELP OUT ALL THE OLD PLAYERS HOW EVER WE CAN THESE GUYS PLAYED WITH BROKEN HANDS AND FINGERS THEY PLAYED OFF. AND DEF. AND YOU WERE NOT DOWN WHEN YOUR KNEE HIT THE GROUND YOU WERE DOWN WHEN THEY FELT LIKE BLOWING THE WHISTLE, DAD TOLD ME SOME TIMES HE WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PILE ON THE FIVE YARD LINE WITH GUYS ON TOP OF HIM AND HE CRAWLED FOR A TOUCHDOWN AS THEY WERE DIGGING INTO HIS EYES OR FINGERS IN HIS MOUTH PULLING HIS CHEEKS AS HES PRAYING FOR A WHISTLE, (TOUGH GUYS)!!DAD IS 84 AND LIVING IN FLA SOME HEALTH PROB. AND COULD USE ALL THE HELP HE COULD GET , AND I REPEAT HES A “TOUGH GUY”!!!! THANKS JACK SUTTON
To much bitching and finger pointing and not enough mature wiser older guys reaching out to the the younger generation of players like we all failed to do when we played. We need them in our corner a lot more than they need us. If you all are active in your local NFLPA chapters, how many of you have invited local active players to your meetings? We didn’t give a hoot about older guys before us when we were cock strong and making 100K+/-, imigine the entitlement the younger guys feel now (they are us, but 20+ years ago). Let’s stop bitching and find solutions to bring all active and retired players together going into this huge barganing year. We need strength in numbers, I know the other side has a united group of 32 owners ready to stomp on all this division.
No one wants to listen to old bitches and that is not pointed at anyone, it’s time for a fresher approach and I’m ready to do what I can to help unite all of us.