My Michael Crabtree Blog

Well, it took long enough. After months of arguing and posturing, wide receiver Michael Crabtree has ended his holdout and signed with the San Francisco 49ers.

So far, there has been no hint from Crabtree's side as to what the final contract pays Crabtree. Usually the agent tends to leak this information, and since Crabtree's agent has yet to do so, it makes sense to believe that the agent is not that proud of the final agreement.

An NFL source has said that the contract is for 6 years and $32 million. $17 million is guaranteed just for signing (how about that for your autograph?) If Crabtree performs well enough, the final year of the contract worth a base salary of $4million will be voided. However, I understand that the qualifications for the final contract to be voided are so high that it is highly likely that this will turn out to be a 6-year deal.

For example, one of the stipulations is that Michael must make the Pro Bowl at least one year in his first four years. While he may turn into an elite NFL receiver, the competition in the NFC is just too great to expect him to make the Pro Bowl that quickly. The NFC has receivers such as Larry Fitzgerald, Calvin Johnson, Anquan Boldin, and Steve Smith just to name a few. It is pretty much a given that these guys will make the Pro Bowl, and that does not leave a lot of room left for Michael.

All in all, Crabtree ended up signing about the same contract that was offered at the onset of negotiations. It is just a shame that it took so long for him to realize that he was wasting his time and ruining his reputation.