Free Agency, Releases & Retirement*
*The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of Dr. Don Davis and do not reflect the opinions or positions of the NFLPA or its affiliates.
As the official start of the 2023 league year in the National Football League (NFL) approaches, so does the harsh reminder that the NFL is a business. Every year approximately 2,400 players receive a credited season—meaning they were under contract for a minimum of three games. While three games might sound minimal, for NFL players, it is significant given the collectively bargained player benefits that are earned annually once a player achieves three games on a qualifying roster. Despite the popular public narrative, NFL player benefits are among the best in professional sports. Of those players who earn a credited season, more than 500 players have played their last down in the NFL; my dissertation research focused on NFL free-agent players who were among this group of players.
For any player whose contract ends on or before the March 15th, 4 pm deadline, the experiences shared by players who participated in my research study offer insight into the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral difficulties that might be experienced when navigating the journey out of the NFL. Participants revealed that due to the unique nature of playing in the National Football League, the transition created a tremendous void in their lives. Players verbalized the process using a multitude of descriptive terms including “being on a rollercoaster”, “a whirlwind”, “a car crash”, “going through the fog”, and “swimming or floating in the ocean with nowhere to go”. Only one of the participants described his transition as easy, and when asked why he explained, “I already had a plan before it happened, so for me, it wasn’t a fearful thing. If you prepare for it, it’s not as bad. But when you don’t prepare, everything will seem much worse.”
For several of the players who articulated difficulties associated with the transition process, there was a phase that many labeled as “no man’s land”, and based on analysis of the data, was determined to be dynamic, complex, and highly emotional. During this phase, players shared a wide range of emotions, including anger, sadness, frustration, disappointment, and even relief. This range of emotions was primarily consistent among all players despite the number of seasons played or the presence of a transition ‘Game Plan’. Many also described efforts to remain busy, which served as a positive distraction, and almost all participants disclosed questioning “What’s next?”. While some participants acknowledged hoping to be called back by an NFL team, other participants described the same event as a challenge. They further explained that the call was typically either to gauge if the player was interested in continuing to play or to request the player complete a workout with club personnel, and most often did not result in a follow-up call.
While external audiences focus on the personnel changes that occur this time of year, NFL Players Association (NFLPA) internal support mechanisms are amplifying outreach efforts to ensure that all released players and their families take full advantage of the support they have earned during their playing days. One example of this support is The Trust. The Trust is a collectively bargained benefit created in 2013 that was designed to assist players as they work to win in the next season of their lives.
Despite the public acceptance of an industry that dismisses 25% of its workforce annually as “business as usual”, players understand that being asked to leave a game that they love and a sport that they have dedicated all of their lives to is anything but usual. One suggestion that participants consistently offered to other free agents players as their NFL careers come to a close is that maintaining discipline, creating structure, and developing a new routine during the transition from the NFL, and in life, can be helpful as players figure out their next move.
