Contract Timing Talk Right for Childress, Not Ownership
Speculation that Vikings head coach
Brad Childress and agent Bob LaMonte are trying for a
contract extension makes sense to an NFL insider who spoke to Sports
Headliners on condition of anonymity. “If I were Brad, and Bob was
my guy, I would have Bob on the horn regularly because they’ve got to
work that out,” the source said on Saturday. “They’ve (the Vikings) got
a favorable schedule out of the bye but when they get to December that’s
a tough situation.”
The Vikings were 6-0 last week when
reports were published that Childress, who is in the fourth year of a
five year contract, was looking for a new deal. Whether that’s true
isn’t confirmed by the Childress-LaMonte team, or the Vikings, but the
source said the coach should “strike now while the iron is hot.”
Although the Vikings lost to Pittsburgh
yesterday, the team’s impressive start to the 16 game season provides
the 53-year-old Childress with leverage for a contract extension. His
annual coaching records have reflected progress: 6-10, 8-8, 10-6 and now
6-1.
In the fragile world of coaching security,
results and employment can change fast. The Vikings play at Green Bay
next Sunday, and then have the next weekend off. Following that are likely
wins in November at home against Detroit (1-5) and Seattle (2-4). After
that starts a run of games against Chicago (3-3) in late November, with
December dates versus Cincinnati (5-2), Carolina (2-4), Chicago again
and the early January finale with the Giants (5-2).
If the Vikings falter in their late season
games, the record won’t be so sparkling and the contract negotiating
leverage is gone. Childress is in a strong position now not only
because of the team’s impressive start in the first seven games but also
for his gamble to make Brett Favre a Viking.
Childress helped convince the 39-year-old
legend to postpone retirement, also moving aside the hoped for plan to make
Tarvaris Jackson the starting quarterback. Jackson was drafted in
2006 and schooled for three prior seasons by Childress. “Brad Childress
pushed all his chips to the middle of the table on Favre, essentially
giving up on Tarvaris Jackson,” the source said.
However, the Vikings ownership, including Zygi
Wilf, has sound reason to wait until the season ends before
negotiating with Childress on a contract extension. The full 2009
results and four coaching seasons will be complete in January. Waiting
and then evaluating also avoids a potential distraction for the team
during the season, the source said.
Childress is believed to earn less than $2
million annually, making him among the lower paid head coaches in the
NFL. Prior to coming here Childress had never been an
NFL head coach.
Data on NFL coaches’ salaries is scarce,
so figures can involve some guesswork.
The source said Childress and his agent
might be looking for a new five year deal that provides security and
compensation reflecting the average of what the upper tier of NFL
coaches is paid. What’s negotiated, though, could be less than the
average and for perhaps $4.5 million a year with incentives that let
Childress make more based on performances.
