Mariota was the second overall pick, taken by the Tennessee Titans. Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Quarterback Marcus Mariota is the only unsigned 2015 first-round draft pick, and it appears it might be awhile before he signs.
Mariota was the second overall pick, taken by the Tennessee Titans, but ESPN.com reported that Titans interim CEO and president Steve Underwood says the team will not give in on its demand to have offset language in Mariota’s contract.
Offset language enables a team to regain guaranteed money if the player is released and signs with another team.
Players who do not have offset language written into their contract can receive payment from another team as well as from the team that released them.
“We’ve always had offset language in our player contracts. It’s nothing new,” Underwood said, according to the ESPN.com report. “I think it is important where a high first-round draft pick is concerned, because it’s the precedent. Everything that we do is precedential for the next round of contracts.
“So keeping the offset in place is something we want to be able to do going forward. And the minute you back away from the contract principle, then you no longer are able to assert it going forward.”
Mariota’s contract is projected to be in the $21 million range over four years. It is unlikely that the No. 2 overall pick would be released before his contract expires, but Underwood said he does not want to set a precedent.
“Whatever you do echoes into eternity with player contracts,” he said. “We just can’t afford to take a step back, at least this early in the process. We’re still a couple of weeks away from training camp.”
The Titans are scheduled to report to camp July 30, and the first practice is July 31.
“Getting a first-round draft pick, a quarterback, signed and in camp on time, it’s a big deal,” Underwood said. “It’s something we need to be focused on. But using that or any other excuse to subvert the negotiating process, that’s faulty logic.”
Underwood said the debate over the offset language is the only sticking point to Mariota signing a contract.
Earlier this month, Mariota told FOX Sports he is “not worried about it at all” regarding the contract.
“Obviously, it’s a business deal,” Mariota said. “It’s going to take some time. That’s why you hire your agent.
