USC Trojans’ quarterback Caleb Williams reportedly wants an awfully special luxury granted by the NFL team that drafts him next April.
A report from Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio back in July has recently resurfaced. The report outlined that Williams is hoping to receive an ownership stake in the NFL team that picks him. The reigning Heisman Trophy winner is the overwhelming favorite to go first overall in 2024:
“Per multiple sources, the representatives of USC quarterback Caleb Williams had been making it known to prospective agents that Williams wants partial ownership of the team that selects him in 2024, if he declares for the draft…
It feels like an antitrust violation. And it’s potentially collusion, if giving a player equity is not prohibited by the Collective Bargaining Agreement and if the new rule was passed without bargaining between the league and the union.
Actually, that could be the angle for attacking this. It’s quite possibly collusive on its face. If it was possible to give players equity before the NFL recently changed the rules and if the NFL changed the rules without negotiating with the union, the decision to prevent all teams from giving players equity amounts to collusion.”
Florio’s reported noted that Aaron Rodgers wanted “equity” with the New York Jets when he negotiated his deal with them. But according to Florio, the NFL did the hard part for the Jets by rejecting Rodgers’ request.
Keep in mind that last month, Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network noted that Tom Brady’s purchase of a minority stake in the Las Vegas Raiders hadn’t gone through yet. As their report pointed out, the finalizing of the stake would end any chance of Brady being able to un-retire again:
“Buying a stake in an NFL team would effectively preclude Brady from playing again — for the Raiders or anyone else — under recently updated league bylaws.”
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There is also speculation that Williams won’t declare for the 2024 NFL Draft if he’s not keen on joining the club who owns the first overall pick.
The Carolina Panthers are football’s worst team at 0-6, but their 2024 first-round pick belongs to the Chicago Bears. Chicago received that selection as part of the return for the top pick in 2023, which Carolina used on Bryce Young.
