If You Are Going To Take The Money, Play In All The Games
Xavier Restrepo and Sam Brown, Jr. both opted out of the Pop-Tarts Bowl on Saturday and left their team in the lurch.
Restrepo and Brown had no reason to opt-out. We knew Restrepo was going to the NFL as he was out of eligibility. He did not have to "declare". Further, he could have gotten an insurance policy to cover him for the final game if he was worried about injury.
Colorado's two superstars, Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter are playing in the Alamo Bowl Saturday night with an insurance policy that was taken out on their behalf. They did not quit on their teammates. They are two of the top five picks in the draft.
The Alamo Bowl is no better or no worse than the Pop Tarts Bowl. The duo from Colorado said all week they wanted to play for their teammates. They did not have to. They wanted to.
Cam Ward, Miami's quarterback and the probable No.1 pick in the draft, played the first half, tossed three touchdowns, and exited the game with his team ahead. He opted out at the half. That is like leaving the bride at the altar.
What gives?
They let the team down. They let the fans and the University down.
Restrepo will be a third-day pick at best. He has a lot of heart but lacks size and speed. The heart only gets you so far.
Scouts look to see what kind of teammate a player is going to be. Can they count on the player when the chips are down? When a player quits on his team, that speaks volumes about his character.
Brown, won't be drafted. He is an undrafted free agent who gets cut at the end of camp. He did not show much at Miami this season and there is no reason to believe he will be a better pro than he was a collegian. Brown needed this game.
With Isaiah Horton out of the fold, transferring to Alabama, Brown would have gotten a lot of reps. He could have put on a display and enhanced his overall body of work which leaves a bit to be desired.
There is only one solution.
Every NIL contract should contain a clause which says if you opt out of a bowl game, you have to repay a certain percentage of your NIL contract back, immediately.
Players don't get paid for just the regular season. They are compensated for a full season, including the bowl game.
If the player doesn't like it, he doesn't have to take the money. This is a pay-to-play era. The players and the courts have made that quite clear. If a player doesn't play, he should be in breach of the contract and face the consequences.
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Scott Salomon joined On SI in April 2024 covering breaking news and analysis for the Miami Dolphins site, and has since contributed to the Miami Heat, Back in the Day NBA, Miami Hurricanes and San Antonio Spurs sites. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. He's covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services.