On SportsNation earlier today, ESPN's Marcellus Wiley passed along something he heard in the wake of regarding former Los Angeles Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher's firing in regards to the prior extension and a clause that would have paid him for a fifth win:
There was a clause in [Fisher's contract extension], reportedly, that said if he wins one more game that even if he were fired [the Rams] would have to pay him. And they said the players found this out and decided to act passively-aggressively and not play for him. And then [the firing] doubled down on the...this doubled down on that same thing. "Let's not let you win that fifth game."
It's a damning charge. The idea that the dysfunction within the organization is so bad that the players are actively sabotaging their head coach to prevent payouts on extensions for losing football is troubling. The entire situation preceding it was troubling it in the first place, so it's not impossible to conceive. It's just uncomfortable. And unprofessional.
For now, let's leave it as unsubstantiated, unsourced conjecture. Uncomfortable conjecture.