Ever so often a player comes along that makes you wonder if they believe what they’re saying.

Chicago Bears linebacker Lance Briggs is beginning to whine about his six-year contract — with three years remaining.

First of all, I understand the rigors of the NFL. I’ve never experienced the levels of pain and discomfort these players face on a daily basis between practices, scrimmages and games.

I get it. Pro football is brutal and contracts are not guaranteed.

If you sign a seven-year, $100 million contract, you want to get as much money as you can as a signing bonus. That money is the only guarantee you’ll get in an NFL contract.

Say, you received a $30 million signing bonus, your contract is now $70 million over seven years. If your performance is miserable after one season, a team is free to cut you and not owe you any money on the remaining six years.

Harsh? It is. Major League Baseball teams have to pay you the entire contract, whether you’re injured or they release you.

In the NFL, players want as much as they can while they’re still healthy. The long-term prognosis for a lot of former players is not great with injuries.

Briggs wants to earn some more money, but after signing a six-year, $36 million deal, he received a $4 million signing bonus and had it spelled out that $13 million was guaranteed.

Three years later, he’s set to make just $3.65 million this year, $4.5 million next year and $6 million the final year.

The problem is now his contract seems smaller since there have been a few linebackers who have signed better deals in the meantime.

Asking for a trade if the team won’t renegotiate is a little childish, but he’s well within his right.

But it’s a tough economy and fans start to become disenfranchised with athletes who complain that their millions aren’t worth as much as others’ millions.

I’m sure it’s a problem we’d all like to have, but the truth is a deal is a deal. No one forced Briggs’ hand to sign and the fact he has three years remaining shows he has no real bargaining chip.

You could make a case Briggs deserves more. He is a six-time Pro Bowl player, but the Bears in 2011 have more pressing needs than to re-sign someone under contract for three years.

NFL contracts need to be shorter and guaranteed, such as a one or two years.

You want a better contract, you earn it every year or two and you get your guaranteed money. Yes, it’s more work for teams to sign all these players, but you’d get a more motivated player and one who will — wait for this novel concept — honor a contract.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.