'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQL/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAMrilH//xAAeEAABAwUBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgMEABESISIUsv/aAAgBAQABPwBmTAS/Z2RyElDuTHbYCCL60d2Fe+I3wtUcLTo452+K/8QAFREBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH/2gAIAQIBAT8Ar//EABURAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEA/9oACAEDAQE/ABv/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Ever since they were legalized in 2021 by the NCAA, name, image, and likeness (NIL) deals have changed how student-athletes market themselves. But Lane Johnson believes that system can be refined even further.
The Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle recently appeared on Richard Sherman's podcast and detailed which changes he would make to the NIL system:
"You know, I would hate to be a college coach... On top of being a coach, you gotta worry about recruiting, which is just as important. As far as players getting paid, man... I'm not opposed to guys getting this money. I think they should set it up better to where they can have success, maybe where they get a big portion of it after they graduate so there is a bit of loyalty...
"Just like the NFL, you can't just up and leave... Now the rabbit's got the gun. It's a different thing, but I think the next few years, they'll get that lined out Because I feel like as a coach, it would drive me nuts."
What are NIL deals? A brief history
The name, image, and likeness (NIL) deal details how a student-athlete may earn money while still in college. This includes autographs, sponsorships, social media activity, and the like.
The first seeds of the NIL deal were sown at the end of September 2019, when California Governor Gavin Newsom ratified the Fair Pay to Play Act, calling it “the beginning of a national movement.” NCAA officials denounced the move as a “harmful,” “unconstitutional,” and an “existential threat” to collegiate athletics.
However, other states followed suit, and the NCAA could no longer stem the tides. The following month, it convened in Atlanta to discuss a potential introduction of its own NIL rules, which eventually happened in 2021 after a few legal battles.
Since then, multiple athletes have used the NIL rules to their own advantage. In football alone, this year's No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, launched his own podcast while still at Alabama using the terms of the deal. Colin Cowherd, whose company The Volume it is a part of, said on its launch:
"I just thought, you know what? This is really cool. It's an opportunity for fans to hear somebody, to get the perspective of the quarterback, the on-field coach of Alabama, the best dynasty of my life. So it just felt kind of natural."
