Is Shemar holding out?

[George Cantstandya]

(07-23-2025, 10:19 AM)XsandOs Wrote: This is a topic that needs clarity, and I would be interested in input such as yours.

I was under the impression initially that if we retract the offer, he can sign with anyone. But as I searched it further, that does not seem to be the case.

As I understand it, if the Bengals retract the offer indicating refusal to sign, he has to wait one year to re-enter the draft.

The CBA doesn't address this area specifically: https://overthecap.com/collective-bargaining-agreement/article/6

I apologize, I was looking at the wrong section of the CBA I quoted above.  That is the section that covers what happens if a drafted player does not sign and plays for another professional league during that time.  That is the part of the CBA that states the team maintains the players rights for 3 years in that case.  

Article 6 Section 4 (a) states this:

Quote:(a) A drafted player may accept the Required Tender at any time up to and including the Tuesday following the tenth week of the regular season immediately following the Draft, at 4:00pm New York time. In the event the exclusive negotiating rights to the drafted player are assigned to another Club through the NFL waiver system, the acquiring Club shall be deemed to have automatically extended the Required Tender immediately upon the assignment. If released through waivers, the player shall be treated as an Undrafted Rookie, with the right to sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club,subject to the provisions of Article 7.

Which I don't fully understand.  It seems to indicate that a team can acquire the negotiating rights to an unsigned rookie through the waiver process.  To me that would indicate the original team somehow cutting or relinquishing the rights to said player.  Perhaps someone else can clear that up for me.

It seems that the NFLPA would want some protections for the rookie player in the event the team refuses to offer the required tender.  Protections that would then allow the player to sign with another team.  Otherwise the player to some degree would be punished by the team refusing to offer the required tender.  The player then unable to play for the season would indeed enter next years draft but would 1) lose a year of pay 2) likely be drafted in a later round the next year.  So the same as if the player refused to sign but instead of the player inflicting the loss of pay on himself the team would do it.

That just seems like something the NFLPA would want to protect against.