You'll often see analysts refer to a player's contract year as a source of motivation to put in extra work and play at their best, but Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell is not a fan of that idea.
Before practice on Thursday, Campbell was asked about the notion of a contract year providing extra motivation for a player, and he gave a great answer.
Campbell said that he doesn't buy it while also noting that "we probably have the wrong guy" if a player needs a contract year to motivate him, according to Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire.
Campbell shot down the notion of a contract year. Says "we probably have the wrong guy" if they're not motivated enough already
— Jeff Risdon (@JeffRisdon) June 6, 2024
While Campbell's comment about having "the wrong guy" is spot on, there is at least some credence to be given to the idea that guys step up at least a little bit more when they are set to hit the open market.
After all, how many times have we seen a professional athlete play at a higher level in a contract season, get paid the following year, and then not live up to the new contract?
By the way, the Lions have a grand total of 42 players on their current offseason roster set to hit free agency in 2025, according to Over the Cap.
