On NFL.com

[walzav29]

It's not the rookie contract where the big money is in the NFL, it's the free-agency contract for which players become eligible in their fourth or fifth years. By holding out for slightly more money as a rookie -- and it's only slightly more, given that the "slotting" custom dictates the approximate dollar value of rookie contracts -- players often do severe damage to their chances of mega money in free agency. Consider Philip Rivers of the Chargers, the fourth overall pick in the 2004 draft. Rivers held out for 25 days last summer, ending up with a marginally better deal. By missing his rookie training camp, Rivers nailed himself to the bench for the 2004 season; Drew Brees blossomed and now Rivers will play in 2005 only if Brees is injured. By this time next year, Rivers may seem much less promising as an NFL quarterback, as he'll be a third-year player with, barring injury to Brees, little or no experience. The holdout caused Rivers' chance of a megabucks payday in free agency to go way, way down.