Ike was pissed.

[antdrewjosh]

Steelers
By John Breech / CBSSports.com
June 30, 2014 04:34 PM ET


Ike Taylor isn't happy about the size of his paychecks. (USATSI)
Back in March, Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor agreed to a $4.25 million pay cut to help the Steelers make some room under the salary cap.

As you can imagine, Taylor wasn't too thrilled with taking the pay cut and he told Jim Rome all about it on Monday. Taylor was scheduled to make $7 million in 2014, but now will only pull in $2.75 million.

"I'm pissed off about it, still am pissed off about it and I'm going to be pissed off until the end of the season about it," Taylor said of taking the pay cut. "Did it hurt me? Hell yeah. Does it still hurt? Yeah, it hurts, but hopefully I can go in and bounce back this year, do what I need to do on the field and we will see what happens after."

You might be wondering why Taylor would agree to a pay cut if it was going to 'piss' him off so much. The 34-year-old has an explanation for that.

"I had seen a few guys who didn't take pay cuts and went to other teams and it didn't work out for them. So, at the end of the day, I didn't want to leave Pittsburgh, point blank, period," Taylor said. "Just hearing from other guys coming from other teams and being on the team with Pittsburgh, they say it's like no other; it's like day and night, so I'll listen."

Taylor has spent his entire 11-year career with the Steelers and he thought just maybe he should've been rewarded for his loyalty -- not asked to take a $4.25 million pay cut.

"It's like you get to a point, why me? Like, I didn’t show my loyalty? I've been a good guy," Taylor said. "You want to talk about a guy who's going to come in in-shape, not waiting to build up into shape when he gets to camp. Or you want to talk about a guy who's unselfish and puts his team before his family and friends, you want to talk about a guy who has loyalty, yeah it's me. It's me you're talking about. When you come to me and ask me for a pay cut, I'm like 'Damn, out of all these people, you want to ask Ike.'"

Taylor started in all 16 games for the Steelers last season and he'll be playing in 2014 on a one-year deal. If Pittsburgh asks him to come back in 2015, you can bet he'll be expecting a small raise.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

I'd be pissed too... The NFLPA has to be the worst union in all of sports.

Dont get me wrong- I am happy as hell that he took the 'hometown discount'. But to essentially 'force' him to void the terms of his contract and take less $$ seems grimy.

I mean- just think think of all of the terrible things we say when a player disregards his contract and holds out

 

[Stryker]

He wouldn't be a steeler if he didn't take the pay cut. HIs performance last year would have made him a cap casualty if he didn't take the pay cut. He has every right to be upset, but he also understands that this was the only way he could stay with the team. Plus he helps the team sign more players with the extra space. This is a classy move on Ike's part, and I will wear his jersey proudly this year. Great to have a Steeler for life!.

 

[JupiterBnG]

I don't know exactly how you could do it for every position, but this is why I think incentive-based pay would be the best all-around solution. Everyone gets some kind of base pay adjusted for how many years you have in the league, but there would be a pool of money that's doled out to everyone per game and at the end of the season.

Score a TD? Bonus check.

Make an interception or recover a fumble? Bonus check.

Sack the QB? Bonus check.

Hit a season target like 100 receptions, or 10 100-yard rushing games, or 12 sacks? Bonus check.

Make people work for their money and you'll see who has a winning attitude and who's just coasting.

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

I don't know exactly how you could do it for every position, but this is why I think incentive-based pay would be the best all-around solution. Everyone gets some kind of base pay adjusted for how many years you have in the league, but there would be a pool of money that's doled out to everyone per game and at the end of the season.

Score a TD? Bonus check.

Make an interception or recover a fumble? Bonus check.

Sack the QB? Bonus check.

Hit a season target like 100 receptions, or 10 100-yard rushing games, or 12 sacks? Bonus check.

Make people work for their money and you'll see who has a winning attitude and who's just coasting.

I agree.

However, being that its one of the more dangerous sports, you need to have a portion of it at least guaranteed. Make like 15-25% of all NFL contract $$ guaranteed, and the remaining 75% is a function of your play on the field...

 

[antdrewjosh]

Really doesnt make to sense to me with football being the most dangerous sport that players wouldnt push for guaranteed contracts. Baseball and basketball have them why not football??

 

[Omar10213245]

Ike is mad. I'm sure the Rooneys are tearing up about it

 

[Bigappleyinzer]

Really doesnt make to sense to me with football being the most dangerous sport that players wouldnt push for guaranteed contracts. Baseball and basketball have them why not football??

It's crazy because it is one of the more dangerous sports in the world paying one of the lowest average salaries, without a guaranteed contract.

Not to mention, the NFL is far and wide the most profitable league in all of the world- so you would figure that the owners could take the hit.

 

[antdrewjosh]

Just weird to me.

 

[Roy92040]

Let him be pissed. I think they play better when they are hungry.

 

[t-man]

Hey Ike, Give James Harrison a call and ask him if he shoulda taken the ****** pay cut. He's got plenty of ******* time to answer his phone, now shut the **** up and play some football.

Joe

 

[Wingman]

I think if the interviewer would have answered Ike's question why they come to me he might have been really pissed. I really like Ike as a player and a person but sooner or later age catches up with everyone. With the rosters we have and the salary cap if the contracts were all guaranteed there is the possibility that some teams would not be able to field a decent team due to bad choices and no room to sign replacements. Maybe that is the way to go, then we could have 20 of the 32 teams looking like the browns every year.

 

[TDX27]

I'm surprised he aired this with the media like he did. He and Rooney apparently had a great relationship. My guess is he just knocked that relationship down a few notches.

 

[TAS]

Hey Ike, Give James Harrison a call and ask him if he shoulda taken the ****** pay cut. He's got plenty of ******* time to answer his phone, now shut the **** up and play some football.

Joe

^^^^^ This

 

[Badcat]

I think Ike just phoned up Duce Staley and asked if he still had the grey sweat suit.

 

[Litos]

he'd be a backup in any other team, and earning the same or less also. So if he's pissed by the money he is not winning he should be pissed with himself, then be thankful for getting another shot at starting for the team

 

[SteelerSask2]

Give me a break. Ike you know it is business. Its always about business. Its not about loyalty or any of that. There was absolutely no way the Steelers were going to pay the 7 million after last season. Regardless of the cap situation. They could replace your cap room and production for half that easily. Grow up if you think they would. Now you could have been a free agent and hit the open market, which was your leverage. You and your agent knew that you wouldn't make substantially more than the 2.75 million and you would have had to uproot your family, so you stayed. Now you are whining. After last season, I have serious concerns about you even drawing a paycheck from this team, little lone 2.75 million.

 

[Buster]

Hey Ike, Give James Harrison a call and ask him if he shoulda taken the ****** pay cut. He's got plenty of ******* time to answer his phone, now shut the **** up and play some football.

Joe

"Best Post Ever" nominee.

 

[slashsteel]

That was just mainly his initial reaction...... and any anger left over?

he mentioned will just be a motivational tool throughout the offseason into the calendar year.

No vet will be happy about a pay cut.......

some take another route and look elsewhere, some don't.........

Ike is smart enough to know the grass isn't always greener on the other side, and a player in his situation has to question if they are declining....

which some tend to think.... obviously to some degree the FO thinks so.............

I listened to the interview, he was asked a question and simply answered it.

He also made it clear on his love for the organization.

To me it was just Rome trying to stir the pot somewhat unsuccessfully...........

 

[AggieSteel]

Loyalty is letting him stay at that salary instead of finding a younger option who will be just as good

Honestly, as a fan, I can't stand how tight the salary cap is. I wish teams were able to afford loyalty contracts. The cap does feel a little low since, every year, guys seem to be let go because of the cap. It's impossible to keep a team together in today's NFL and that feels wrong.

But it's also the reality. Ike knows that. He knows his age and his productivity that is declining. It's a no-brainer, had to be done, and he knows that. Yes getting a lot less money does suck, but direct that anger toward life, aging, and the salary cap - not the Steelers.

 

[blitzburghv5]

he'd be a backup in any other team, and earning the same or less also. So if he's pissed by the money he is not winning he should be pissed with himself, then be thankful for getting another shot at starting for the team

My money would be on him being in "Arizona" had he not taken a cut and went for the money. "They all" end up in Arizona sooner or later (eg, Morey, Gay, Mendenhall, Foote, Crezdon Butler, Ta'Amu etc)

 

[slashsteel]

They need loyalty contracts? Their performance on the field pays them top salary, more than most can make elsewhere in life.

Especially the ones who are/were in a position to take a pay cut, like a vet who has been around long enough to bank money.

I don't think the system in place is broke on the back end and fixing the rookie wages solved the problem on the front end. And then there is the incentive money the league dishes out ................................

 

[Confluence]

They need loyalty contracts? Their performance on the field pays them top salary, more than most can make elsewhere in life.

Especially the ones who are/were in a position to take a pay cut, like a vet who has been around long enough to bank money.

I don't think the system in place is broke on the back end and fixing the rookie wages solved the problem on the front end. And then there is the incentive money the league dishes out ................................

Love Ike and the pay cut he took, but I don't recall hearing him offering some money back last season after his less than par performance.

If he has a good season this year, and then averages that with last, he can then feel that he averaged out "ok" performance-wise and "ok" money-wise.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Let him be pissed. I think they play better when they are hungry.

At least he owned it and kind of admitted that he didn't play that well last year.

 

[SteelerFan448]

Put this in the category of being a non-story. No one is going to be satisfied with paycut, so lets not pretend that he should be thrilled with it.

From a fan and business perspective, Taylor made too much money last year, so this helps "even it out." His alternative was to get cut and make less money with a team that he wasn't as happy with. You think that James Harrison would have made the same choice last year knowing what he does now? I don't.