The Temple Sports Law Negotiation Team made their way to the Big Easy last month to compete in the nation’s premier football negotiation competition at Tulane University. Facing a fast-paced, high-pressure environment, the team tackled complex real-world scenarios designed to mirror the challenges of NFL contract negotiations.  

Temple Law participated in three salary negotiations, representing the New York Jets versus running back Breece Hall, wide receiver George Pickens versus the Dallas Cowboys, and the Jacksonville Jaguars versus linebacker Devin Lloyd. Each negotiation required an independent analysis of the player, which included balancing the player’s value, the team’s priorities, and the team’s long-term roster strategy while navigating a team’s current constraints of the NFL salary cap.  

For example, in advocating for George Pickens, Temple emphasized his explosive playmaking ability and key market drivers for wide receiver compensation. Pickens posted 93 catches for 1,429 yards and 9 touchdowns, ranking 8th in the league in targets and 3rd in receiving yards this season. He is among the league’s most productive receivers, putting him in the top of the market, to receive well above $29 million. He will likely be franchise tagged by Dallas if they cannot come to a long-term deal, so he’d receive at least $28-28.8 million on a one-year deal.  

The judges included NFL agents and executives with backgrounds in player personnel, salary cap management, and contract negotiation. Their perspective throughout the day on our negotiation styles, anticipation of counter arguments, and structuring of value-based arguments under salary cap constraints was tremendously helpful. Their feedback reflected the real-world valuation standards, giving us real insight into NFL negotiations.