NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 7
Rookie Compensation and Rookie Compensation Pool

Section 3(e)
Rookie Contracts

(e)

25% Increase Rule. No Rookie Contract may provide for an annual increase of more than 25% of the player’s Year-One Rookie Salary unless such contract provides only for Paragraph 5 Salary equal to the then-applicable Minimum Active/Inactive Salary for each League Year of the Contract. By way of example, if a player drafted in the second round signs a four-year contract with a $400,000 signing bonus, a $500,000 Paragraph 5 Salary, and no performance incentives in his first season, the player’s YearOne Rookie Salary will equal $600,000, i.e., the prorated portion of his signing bonus ($100,000) plus his Paragraph 5 Salary ($500,000). Accordingly, the player’s maximum annual increase in Rookie Salary may not exceed $150,000 ($600,000 × 25%).