VIDEO: NFL Fans Think Troy Aikman Took A Cruel Shot At Caleb Williams While Discussing His Rookie Contract On Live TV
The NFL preseason officially kicked off Thursday night with the annual Hall-of-Fame game taking place against the Chicago Bears and Houston Texans
Even though Williams did not take a snap in the game, it didn’t stop commentators Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from talking about him.
One topic of conversation was the video that surfaced of undrafted free agent quarterback Tyson Baegant reacting to Caleb Williams’s $22.5 million signing bonus.
“Such a great reaction from Tyson Bagent, who was undrafted out of college when Caleb said how much he got as a bonus,” Buck said in the video.
This led Aikman to also give his opinion on the video and the bonus.
“Right, having a seizure thinking about it. He was hoping that one day he might be able to make that in his career,” Aikman said. “But times have changed. Thank you networks for some of these signing bonuses the players are now getting.”
Some believe that Aikman was alluding to the idea that players are getting paid too much compared to his era of football.
“Same networks that been paying him ridiculous money the last 20+ years,” one X user said.
Contracts Have Heavily Inflated Since Troy Aikman Was in the NFL
Throughout his 12-year playing career, Aikman earned $55.5 million, according to Spotrac. When Aikman was drafted in 1989 as the first overall pick, his signing bonus was just $2.75 million.
In today’s era, that price tag would be a steal for even a mid-tier quarterback, much less a six-time Pro Bowler and Hall-of-Famer.
Recently, Jordan Love signed a contract extension with the Green Bay Packers, earning him $55 million a year, matching what Aikman made in his entire career. That extension tied him for third as the highest-paid player in the league.
Also Read: REPORT: Lamar Jackson And Troy Aikman Are Set For A Serious Court Battle Over The Strangest Conflict
