It’s almost time.
A well-known agency has notified all teams that its clients have been told not to submit this year, after years in which the NFL and its clubs have failed to adequately secure and/or define the results of pre-draft cognitive testing of new players.
Athletes First sent an email outlining the organization’s stance last month, according to Kalyn Kahler of TheAthletic.com.
“After extensive internal deliberation, the representatives at Athletes First have instructed our draft prospects to kindly decline taking part in any cognitive or psychological assessments (such as AIQ, S2, etc.) throughout the pre-draft phase,” the email stated, as reported by Kahler.
“We are aware that a lot of your teams employ these tests or protocols in the course of evaluating potential candidates, but we haven’t had a great experience with them lately. There is in fact no confidentiality with these exams, as evidenced by the fact that certain performances and results were made public last year. No other job interview is as scrutinized as this one; it is wrong for a player’s IQ, ability, or mental functioning to be the target of mockery and public debate. Our clients will not be put through the extensive battery of psychological exams, even though they are delighted to take part in the customary pre-draft physical exercises, football-related interviews, and movie reviews.
For years, cognitive test results—most commonly, the Wonderlic test—have been unavailable to the NFL and its teams. However, in 2023, there was a blab concerning the S2 test results of Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Reportedly, Stroud performed appallingly. According to his performance in 2023, the S2 exam is an unreliable measure of a player’s ability to make decisions and perform on the field. The agency’s stance toward its 2024 clients appears to have been sparked by that.
I hope that Athletes First will serve as a model for all other agencies. Each year, players endure irrational encroachments and breaches of privacy that bear little to no relevance to their future chances. The league, the media, and the fans all want players to follow along because they have indoctrinated us into believing that being selected in the first round is “an honor and a privilege.”
Ridiculous.
Being able to choose which really brilliant workers to hire who can help the teams win football games is a great honor and privilege for the teams. There should be no draft; athletes should be able to choose their first NFL teams in the same manner that they choose their colleges, as I have frequently suggested.
Although it is much too late to abolish the draft, players still have the opportunity to make a statement and decline to participate in pointless activities. This is particularly important if the NFL and its teams choose to violate the privacy rights of their constituents by disclosing information to the media.
Bravo to Athletes First for their action. Now, all other agencies are running empty.
