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Gabriel supposedly signed with Oakland and Brodie with Houston. Ditka said he had only talked with the Oilers.vikingsfan1963 wrote:If I'm not mistaken Roman Gabriel and John Brodie were among those who did this and possibly Mike Ditka? Who did they sign with and how about other names/teams? Thanks for any input on this topice
The merger was June of 1966.conace21 wrote:https://fs64sports.blogspot.com/2012/04 ... s.html?m=1
"However, the 27-year-old Ditka was on the verge of becoming a free agent. He had refused to sign a contract for 1966 and played out his option. He also infuriated owner/Head Coach George Halas by accepting a $50,000 bonus to sign a three-year contract and jump leagues to play for the AFL’s Houston Oilers – a deal that was tossed out once the AFL/NFL merger was agreed to (although he got to keep the bonus)."
I also found a press photo from February 1967 where Ditka announced he had signed a contract with the Oilers. I'm a little surprised by the timing. I thought that all the signings were nullified by the merger agreement. I don't remember exactly when that was, but obviously it was months before Super Bowl I. Perhaps the situation was resolved at off-season league meetings.