Since the signing of the NFL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2011, players selected in the NFL Draft have had little to no negotiation to go through in their contracts. First-round picks in particular have a clear compensation schedule to follow, so most early selections ink their deals far earlier in the past decade than they did previously.
Still, it’s surprising to see a player sign less than 7 days after their selection was made, but that is exactly what happened on Thursday. According to multiple media reports, safety Darnell Savage — the 21st overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft — signed his rookie contract with the Green Bay Packers on Thursday afternoon.