The NFL is really an oddity in a business sense. The primary example of this is that it’s exempt from antitrust laws, otherwise it couldn’t control the amateur draft, salary cap, free agency restrictions and TV rights the way it currently does (by colluding).
After the Green Bay Packers signed QB Scott Tolzien, who was cut by the San Francisco 49ers–the Packers’ first opponent of the season–it got me thinking: what if the NFL were more like other industries?
The Packers signed Tolzien for one reason: to pick his brain about the 49ers’ offense (and defense, to some extent). In the real (business) world, the 49ers would have made Tolzien sign a non-compete and non-disclosure document.
If you think about that, having non-competes in the NFL, or any other sport, would be really weird. There wouldn’t be any more trades, and free agents would be on the market for minimum one year as they wait for their non-competes to expire.
And regarding the non-disclosure, Tolzien is in a tough spot. If he rats out his old team, he extends his career by at least another week (he’s currently still on the practice squad). If he doesn’t talk about the 49ers, he’s out of a job.
That’s why the NFL is an oddity in business.