More NFL Quarterbacks Should Hold Out (or In)

I think more NFL quarterbacks should hold out (or hold in, where they report to camp in order to avoid a daily fine and refuse to practice until they get a new contract). Why are we discussing this? For the most part quarterback contracts are crazy lucrative. Quarterbacks usually get whatever they want. And what they want is to make more than the previous major QB contract. As Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagavailoa says, "The QB market is the QB market." In other words, it is time for a new contract so pay me top dollar.

We will revisit Tua in a moment. But Saturday Packers QB Jordan Love told the team he will not practice or play in pre-season games until his new contract is done. This puts the Packers in a bit of a bind since training camp starts now. The move absolutely puts pressure on the Packers to act quickly.

This got me thinking about why quarterbacks don't do this more often. Quarterbacks should hold out more often. Do they assume that since they are the quarterback that their deals will eventually get done? Do they not want to let their teammates down because their position is the most important on the team?

When Dak Prescott and Jerry Jones were negotiating (fighting over) his current deal which is about to expire, I always wondered why Dak didn't hold out during the process. I thought he had a lot of leverage at the time but he never made that move. Instead those contract talks lasted almost two years.

Lamar Jackson was another QB I thought should have held out during his contract talks. His situation was complicated by a couple of factors. First of all, he and his mother negotiated his contract instead of an agent. This prolonged the situation because the player and team had long periods of time where they did not speak regularly. Also, Jackson was using the foolish market breaking deal the Browns gave to Deshaun Watson as his template. No team other than the Browns would do such a dumb deal.

Matthew Stafford's contract suddenly fell about 15 million dollars below market value. The Rams just gave him a raise with no added years so he would not hold out of camp.

And this brings me to Tua and why quarterbacks should hold out. The Dolphins want him (sort of), but they don't want to pay him market money north of 55 million dollars a year. Tua is in the same exact position as these other guys. I would bet if he decided not to practice during training camp his deal would get done a lot faster.

For more NFL talk tune in to Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida every weekday from 2-6.

Tequila is on fire. Its popularity in the United States is growing at a pace that could unseat vodka as the top spirit according to some industry analysts. But tequila is more than just for mixing great cocktails and doing party shots. In fact, the spirit from Mexico makes a great addition to sauces and marinades. Here are 5 food recipes for Tequila Day in Southwest Florida.

National Tequila Day is Wednesday, July 24th. So, for TikTok Tuesday I thought we would take a different look at tequila. Instead of looking at the glass, let's observe what is on the plate. You've likely been to a Southwest or Mexican themed restaurant with a tequila lime (fill in the blank) menu item.

How do you make those marinades and sauces without overdoing it? To get the more subtle flavors of tequila in your food? Adding heat is one way. Not heat from spices but heat from a cooking element. That typically burns off the alcohol and leaves the earthy, herbal flavors among others.

Warning. Not all of the recipes below cook the alcohol out. But none appear to be over the top as far as the amount of tequila used in the creations. Either way, use your own good judgement when it comes to consumption.

Finally, if you accompany any of these recipes with a refreshing tequila cocktail, enjoy the pairing. I'll post some new drink recipes tomorrow. And as always, please drink responsibly.

If you don't have a TikTok account, don't worry. I've made it easy to view by taking these links from mine. Simply scroll down and watch from this post. To get full recipe details and directions, you might have to click on the video to expand. Don't forget to share with tequila loving, foodie friends.

Say what? I thought I've heard of putting almost everything in the air fryer. Until now. I want to hate this but deep down inside I think I might love it. OF course I have to try it. Let me know if you do and if it works. 

This seems like it would be natural. Curing the fish in both acid from the citrus and tequila too. Just make sure you get good quality seafood. Yum.

This looks pretty easy. It looks pretty good too. Wondering if you could work with low-fat cream to make it more healthful? Oh, who cares. Eat a salad for the side and it should even out.

This looks good to enjoy all summer long in Florida or anywhere. Pick your favorite fruit as a substitute. However, Mango sounds like a great match. Delicious dessert alert here.

This looks fun. It looks good too tequila seems to lend itself well to sauces for chicken and shrimp. Now just add a refreshing tequila-based cocktail and you are all set for a good time.