Brandon Marshall: NFL needs to change unfair player contracts

New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall criticized the NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement, saying that players currently have very little in the way of security.

New York Jets wide receiver Brandon Marshall criticized the NFL’s current collective bargaining agreement, saying that players are given very little in the way of security, according to the New York Daily News.

In the interview, Marshall talked about the prospect of having NFL contracts being full guaranteed like those of the MLB and NBA, calling it the “biggest fight we’ve ever had to get that done.”

Marshall also pointed to the contract dispute between the Houston Texans and wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins as an example of a team not taking care of its own players.

Hopkins is currently on the third year of his rookie contract and is scheduled to make $1.45 million this season. However, he was one of the top receivers in the league the last two seasons, making 187 receptions for 2,731 yards and 17 touchdowns.

“They did it for J.J. Watt,” Marshall said about Houston renegotiating the defensive end’s contract after two seasons. “They can do it for him (Hopkins). That’s their team. It’s J.J. Watt and it’s Hopkins. That’s their team. They drafted those guys. Take care of them. It resonates in the locker room when you take care of your guys.”

Marshall takes biggest issue with the NFL’s franchise tag system, saying that he is willing to lead the effort to get rid of it.

“It’s one of those things that I’m going to stand on the table for when it’s time to get back at the table,” Marshall. “I think it’s bad business. There should never be a time — whether it’s sports or it’s business — where one side has all the risk. We know the risks that come with playing football. So if a guy has no guaranteed money, he holds all the risk. ... We’re talking about longevity. We’re talking about security.”

The NFL’s current CBA runs through the 2020 season