There was a time when players held out after the final year of their contract. Then it was the year before their final year. Now it's two?
Maybe Lawrence should hold out until he gets an extension on his extension.
All of this is way over the top
The players all know that the minute their salary outweighs their value to the team, they get cut loose. The only restraint on the team is how the dead money will affect the cap. All the leverage is with the team.
In the case of Zeke, the amount of his contract was determined by the rookie cap as determined by the CBA. He had no say in it, no bargaining power regardless of his worth to the team. And it tuned out his worth to the team was phenomenal:
"There is no denying Elliott has produced at a phenomenal rate since entering the league. He has led the NFL in rushing over those three years by a healthy margin. Since 2016, he has 4,048 yards, which is 600 yards beyond any other player despite missing eight games over that stretch."
So now Zeke can look ahead (and back) and see what happens to RBs when wear and tear catches up to them.
"Ride the horse as far as he can go ... and then find a new back."
One of Jerry's skills as a snake-oil salesman is pumping up the fan base's optimism before each season. Only this time he actually might not be bullshitting. So imagine a pumped up fan base and no Zeke in camp. Imagine an aging Jerry seeing the Grim Reaper around the corner, and Jerry knowing that there's only so many more shots at the Lombardi Trophy that has eluded and humiliated him for 23 years -- and no Zeke in camp.
The fans will blame both sides, but all the pressure will be on Jerry. You'll have Michael Irvin on TV screaming, "Pay the man!"
For Zeke, it's just business.