Stephen A. Smith assigns blame in Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee standoff

On Saturday, Tennessee and starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava mutually parted ways after they couldn’t come to an agreement on a new NIL deal for Iamaleava. The redshirt sophomore QB was reportedly earning around $2.2 million per year on his pre-existing deal but was requesting to receive $4 million a year.

The negotiations hadn’t affected Iamaleava’s participation in team activities until Friday when he didn’t report to team practice. Less than 24 hours later, Iamaleava was no longer part of the program. On Monday, First Take host Stephen A. Smith revealed who he thinks is at fault in the dispute.

“I think it’s Nico,” Smith said. “Only in this respect: you made an agreement. Honor it… I do understand that in the sport of football, professionally speaking, they have the right to come to you to have your contract restructured, to ask you to take a pay cut, and things of that nature in professional football.

“So, because that’s the sport that we’re looking at, even though this is on a lower level, it’s college football instead of the NFL, there is sympathy in that regard. But you were getting about $2.2 million. That’s the agreement that you reached. According to the valuations out there, you’re worth about $3.1 million, and you were asking for $4 million, damn near double what you agreed to.”

As a redshirt freshman last season, Iamaleava was Tennessee’s full-time starter. He finished the year with 2,616 passing yards and 19 touchdowns while throwing five interceptions. He also recorded 358 yards and three scores in the ground game.

Nico Iamaleava led the Volunteers to their first College Football Playoff appearance in program history. It was also the first year the CFP expanded to include 12 teams. Tennessee ultimately lost to eventual national championship Ohio State in the first round of the CFP. Smith believes Nico Iamaleava needed to achieve more last season to make the demands he did.

“I don’t recall Tennessee winning the national championship or anything like that,” Smith said. “But [there’s] a bigger thing to this situation, for me personally, than anything else, and that’s honoring your contract. Go for all you can get. But once you negotiate and you sign on the dotted line at a university, you should be compelled to honor that deal unless I’m missing something.

“… I’m of the mindset that you’re getting paid $2.2 million to be the quarterback for the Tennessee Volunteers. That’s what you agreed to, and not [$4 million]. And to walk out on the program, to hold out for the program — to me, that’s not the greatest look. It just isn’t.”