Sports Money Talks, BS Walks: A History of NFL Rookie Holdouts

This Sunday marks Week 2 of the NFL season, but you wouldn’t know that if you hung out with Michael Crabtree. The former Texas Tech wide receiver was the 10th overall pick in last spring’s draft, but still hasn’t signed a contract, and may sit out the season entirely. Whether Crabree’s holdout is due to pride, greed, or simple stupidity is an answer that only Crabtree and his ridiculous cousin/adviser knows, but whatever the case dude stands to lose a ton of cash.

Of course rookie holdouts are nothing new, but seldom have players stayed away into the second week of the season, with results ranging from a two-year career ending with a rape conviction to a 13-year career with multiple Pro Bowl selections. Here’s our list of the best and worst of NFL rookie holdouts…