NFLPA rules likely will prohibit NIL marketing guarantees

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The NIL locks will soon be opened in several states and possibly beyond. The question for the NFL Players Association is whether agents are allowed to use marketing guarantees in portraying players for names, images, and likeness.

According to a source knowledgeable of the situation, the NFLPA has privately stated that marketing guarantees for players who are not yet eligible to hire an agent to negotiate an NFL contract would likely break the rules to that specific relationship in the future. Agents who violate relevant (and applicable) NCAA regulations, university rules, or state laws may also be penalized by the union.

The problem, as some have stated, is that the NFLPA has not yet made its position widely known on these matters, which could lead some agents to offer marketing guarantees to subclasses without realizing that potential disciplinary action might be imminent.

Regardless of the rules or interpretation, the NFLPA needs to share this information with agents so they don’t fly blind when the land frenzy for NIL rights begins. Because it’s coming soon and there will be billions and billions of dollars in it.