Fire Osi Umenyiora's Contract Gripe

Osi isn't seeing eye-to-eye with the Giants (Getty)

New York Giants star DE Osi Umenyiora is pretty unhappy that he has two years remaining on a four-year, $8 million dollar contract because he thinks he's worth much more. Every issue that Osi has raised is legitimate, the problem is that he's fundamentally challenging a system that can't be changed without creating chaos.

Osi is the latest in a line of players who recognize that they've outperformed their contracts. He said: "The fact is in the business we are in, if you get injured, or they feel like you underperformed, they cut you without hesitation. But if you clearly outplay your contract, and ask for something to be done, you're a bad guy and not a team player. It's ridiculous."

Absolutely true.

Osi also said: "How does a guy who had one good year (no disrespect to Charles Johnson) sign a deal and make more than both me and (Giants DE Justin) Tuck combined? It's not right. Just be fair."

Correct again. The Panthers just signed DE Charles Johnson to a $72 million deal, and he really only has had the one good year (his 11.5 sacks in 2010 were more than his total from 2007-2009). Beyond Johnson, guys like Julius Peppers and Albert Haynesworth recently signed deals in the $100 million range, and Umenyiora outplayed both of them last year. 

Even though Umenyiora is right about the one-sidedness of NFL contracts and the fact that his performance should put him among the game's highest-paid defensive linemen, he's still wrong to demand a new contract or trade. Because of the salary cap, bargain contracts are a necessity in the NFL. If every team had to pay fair market value every, single season for every, single player, teams wouldn't be able to afford anywhere near the level of talent they currently employ. Beyond that, it would be total chaos if teams had to re-negotiate contracts every year. The owners would also never allow re-negotiation only for players who improved, so players who underperformed would probably lose out the next year.

Umenyiora is being underpaid, and he says the Giants promised him in 2008 that they would give him more money in 2011 if his performance remained high. It has, and it sounds like the Giants lied. Osi is stuck, however, unless he wants to sit out the season or can find a trade. Sometimes life isn't fair, and right now it's not being fair to Umenyiora.