Franchise Tag Updates: Houston, WRs, JPP
Of the five recipients of franchise tags around the NFL this year, only Stephen Gostkowski immediately signed his one-year tender. He’ll have until Wednesday to negotiate a longer-term deal with the Patriots, but the focus this week is on the other four franchised players, who are still technically free agents, albeit not unrestricted ones. With the July 15 deadline for a multiyear contract looming, let’s check in on those four stars….
- Negotiations between Justin Houston and the Chiefs are expected to resume on Tuesday, one day before the deadline, according to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Florio suggests that guaranteed money will be the major factor in those talks, with Houston likely seeking a sizable signing bonus.
- Houston may have the best chance of the four unsigned franchise players to actually land a long-term extension this week, writes Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Per La Canfora, the two sides have made “significant progress” since they first started negotiating, and Kansas City would like to avoid having to franchise the star pass rusher two years in a row. La Canfora expects it to cost at least $15MM per year for the Chiefs to get something done.
- Within the same piece, La Canfora addresses Dez Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, noting that the two wideouts are stuck in similar situations. Although a deal for either player could be reached if one decides to settle for something in the range of $13-14MM annually, the Cowboys and Broncos are both in a good position to wait until after the season to get something done, if need be. We passed along more extensive updates on both Bryant and Thomas earlier today.
- The fourth unsigned franchise player, Jason Pierre-Paul, has virtually no chance of getting a multiyear contract this week, as we’ve heard repeatedly since his July 4th fireworks accident. However, Jordan Raanan of NJ.com suggests that if JPP is able to contribute to the Giants this season and land a decent contract elsewhere in 2016, he could eventually net New York a draft pick.
Dez Bryant Threatens To Miss Camp, Games
2:00pm: Bryant himself has taken to Twitter to make his stance clear, tweeting that he “will not be there” if he doesn’t get a new deal from the Cowboys. Bryant’s tweet doesn’t specify whether he means he’ll miss training camp or some of the regular season, but based on what we’ve already heard today, I’d guess he’s referring to both. Whether or not he’ll actually follow through with the threat remains to be seen.
11:29am: Contradicting his own report, Werder tweets that Jones has denied that Bryant threatened to miss camp and regular season games. Considering we’ve been hearing for weeks that this was part of Bryant’s plan, Jones must be disputing the fact that the wideout made those comments specifically in a call to him.
10:36am: While reports this summer have suggested that Dez Bryant is considering sitting out regular season games if his contract situation remains unsettled, it didn’t appear that the Cowboys were seriously anticipating that outcome. Now, according to Ed Werder of ESPN.com, Bryant has personally called Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones to tell him that if the two sides don’t reach a long-term agreement by Wednesday, he won’t attend training camp and he’ll miss real games.
Of course, it remains possible that Bryant and his camp are bluffing, particularly with the July 15 deadline for franchised players to sign multiyear contracts looming. However, now that the threat is coming directly from the star wideout, rather than from sourced reports or second-hand quotes, the Cowboys will likely have to take it a little more seriously — even if the team still suspects it’s a play for leverage.
There have been mixed reports in recent weeks on how close Bryant and the Cowboys are to working out a long-term extension, with some outlets suggesting both sides are optimistic about a deal, while others say there’s no indication that progress has been made. Generally, deadlines spur action, so I’d expect talks between Bryant’s camp and the Cowboys to heat up this week, even if those negotiations don’t ultimately result in an extension.
Details on the specific figures being negotiated by the Cowboys and Bryant have been scarce, though Mike Fisher of 105.3 The Fan has cited seven years and $100MM as a point of reference. Those numbers would make some sense for both sides, though the guaranteed money involved in the deal could be a sticking point.
As the Cowboys negotiate with Bryant, they’re also being eyed by the NFL Players Association, which suspects that the Cowboys and Broncos have colluded in contract talks for Bryant and Demaryius Thomas, respectively. So far, the NFLPA hasn’t formally filed a complaint, but it sounds as if the union believes the two teams have spoken to one another about the receivers’ contract situations, perhaps in an effort to limit their overall earnings.
Speaking of earnings, while players are usually subject to fines if they skip training camp, Bryant has yet to sign his one-year franchise tender, so if he doesn’t ink a long-term contract, the 26-year-old figures to leave that offer unsigned for now. As long as he’s not technically under contract, Bryant can’t be fined for missing training camp, though he’d begin to forfeit his 2015 salary at a rate of about $754K per week if he misses regular season action.
While I could see him showing up late to training camp, I’d be surprised if Bryant followed through on his threat to miss regular season games. Once Wednesday’s deadline passes, he and the Cowboys can’t finalize a multiyear contract until after the season, so sitting out Week 1 wouldn’t spur the team to meet his long-term demands. Still, perhaps the threat of a holdout could result in the Cowboys modifying the Pro Bowler’s one-year deal to include some player-friendly terms, such as a guarantee that the club won’t franchise him again in 2016.
Long-Term Deal Unlikely For Thomas, Broncos
With two more days for the Broncos and Demaryius Thomas to finalize a long-term contract extension for the standout receiver, it doesn’t appear likely that the two sides will come to terms, according to multiple reports. Both Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk have characterized the chances of a multiyear deal as possible, but unlikely.
According to Cole, the NFLPA’s investigation into possible collusion between the Broncos and Cowboys has slowed contract talks for Thomas, whose demands are still well above what Denver feels comfortable doing. Florio points out that, given Peyton Manning‘s uncertain status beyond this season, it may not make sense for the Broncos to invest a huge amount of long-term money into a wide receiver, since it’s not clear who would be throwing him the ball throughout most of that contract.
As Florio also observes, the Broncos’ last long-term deal for a franchised player came in 2013, for left tackle Ryan Clady. Since he signed that extension, Clady has suffered two major injuries, including an ACL tear that will sideline him for the 2015 season. While Thomas is a different player in a different situation, the Clady deal could nonetheless make the team more inclined to go year to year on its current franchised player.
Assuming the Broncos and Thomas don’t reach an agreement by the July 15 deadline, the two sides will still have some wiggle room to negotiate terms on the one-year tag. Denver could opt to increase the $12.823MM salary a little, or include a clause in the contract that prevents the team from franchising Thomas again in 2016.
With a new head coach and offensive coordinator in place for the 2015 season, it would be in the best interests of Manning and the Denver offense to get Thomas to camp as soon as possible. As such, the Broncos may be willing to give it a little ground on that one-year tender, even if they’re not comfortable with giving their No. 1 wideout a sizable long-term guarantee.
Bills OL Coach Aaron Kromer Arrested
Former Bears offensive coordinator and current Bills offensive line coach Aaron Kromer was arrested on Saturday night by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office in Florida, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). Police arrested Kromer on a misdemeanor battery charge, the department confirmed today in a press release (Facebook link).
According to the Walton County Sherrif’s Office, Kromer and his son allegedly confronted a group of three boys – who had been fishing – over the use of beach chairs. The victims told Walton County deputies that Kromer grabbed their fishing pole and threw it in the water, then pushed one of the boys to the ground and punched him in the face. The victim, identified as a juvenile, per Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports (Twitter link), also said Kromer threatened to kill his family if he reported the incident to the police.
While Walton County police continue to look into the incident, and Kromer has not yet been found guilty, we’ve seen NFL teams release players following lesser charges this offseason. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Bills decided to part ways with their offensive line coach without waiting for the legal process to play out, though there has been no indication yet which way the team is leaning.
Kromer was at the center of another story in Chicago last season, when he admitted to being the leak for a report in which an anonymous Bears source criticized the play of quarterback Jay Cutler. Having gone from an interim head coach in New Orleans to an offensive coordinator in Chicago to an offensive line coach in Buffalo, Kromer had already seen his coaching career trending in the wrong direction in recent years. If the Bills decide to let him go, it’s hard to imagine the former Bears OC landing another job in the NFL this year.
Jason Pierre-Paul Notes: Sunday
It has now been more than a week since Jason Pierre-Paul‘s Fourth of July fireworks accident, which ultimately cost him a finger on his right hand, and there’s still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the defensive end’s recovery and his contract. Here are the latest items on JPP:
- There’s “no chance” Pierre-Paul will sign a long-term deal by Wednesday’s deadline, but there are still plenty of ways for his contract situation to play out. Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News examines five possibilities, suggesting that the most likely scenario will see JPP negotiating new terms to his franchise tender.
- With the help of sports medicine analyst Mike Ryan, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk explains why the multiple fractures in Pierre-Paul’s right thumb figure to wreak the most havoc during his recovery and rehab.
- A prosthetic finger to replace the one he lost won’t be an option for JPP, according to Zach Braziller and Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post. Such a procedure would only make sense aesthetically, since a prosthetic wouldn’t be functional for playing football.
- Mike Lupica of the New York Daily News criticizes Pierre-Paul’s decision not to bring the Giants into the loop on his health status. While Lupica might be right when he says that the lack of communication could create some ill will between the two sides, I certainly understand JPP’s perspective — the Giants appear to have no intent of withdrawing the franchise tag, even as they remain in the dark on the details of the 26-year-old’s injury.
NFLPA Looking Into Cowboys, Broncos
7:15pm: Suspicions in the matter stew from both the Cowboys and the Broncos refusing to use Calvin Johnson‘s contract with the Lions as a comparable during negotiations with Bryant and Thomas, respectively, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. That seems a little odd, as the total value of Johnson’s contract is nearly twice that of Mike Wallace, the second-highest paid receiver, and as Jason Fitzgerald of Over the Cap tweets, Megatron’s deal has always been viewed as an outlier. Nevertheless, Florio reports that the NFLPA believe it has reliable information that the two clubs involved “have been communicating to set, control, or manipulate the [receiver] market.”
Meanwhile, the Broncos say they have not been contacted by the NFLPA regarding this issue, according to Troy Renck of the Denver Post.
5:48pm: Asked about the NFLPA’s investigation, a Cowboys source tells Charean Williams of the Fort Worth Telegram (Twitter link) there’s “nothing to it.” That’s what you’d expect to hear from a team source, though I wouldn’t be surprised if that turns out to indeed be the case.
3:59pm: With five days left for franchised players to negotiate multiyear contract agreements with their current teams, only two of the four unsigned franchise-tag recipients play the same position: Demaryius Thomas and Dez Bryant. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com, the NFL Players Association is reviewing information to determine whether the Broncos and Cowboys have colluded in regard to contract talks for their two star receivers.
Per Schefter, the NFLPA believes the Broncos and Cowboys were in contact about Thomas’ and Bryant’s contract situations, despite the fact that the the league’s collective bargaining agreement prohibits such contact. The NFLPA is investigating the situation to determine whether or not collusion did in fact occur, and when to potentially file a claim.
July 15 is the deadline for franchised players to sign long-term extensions with their teams — if no agreement is reached by that date, a player who received the franchise tag will have to play on a one-year deal in 2015, if he intends to play at all. Given the relatively similar statistical production posted by Bryant and Thomas – as well as Bengals wideout A.J. Green and Falcons receiver Julio Jones, who are playing on fifth-year options this year – there’s been a sense that everyone is waiting for one team to extend its star receiver to establish the market.
Of course, if one team were to lock up its receiver to a lucrative new extension that exceeds his expected worth, it could adversely affect negotiations for other teams locking to lock up their own wideouts, driving up the price. As such, it makes sense that the Cowboys and Broncos might want to discuss the situation with one another, though Schefter’s report doesn’t suggest there’s any hard evidence that happened.
Largest 2015 Cap Hits By Team: AFC West
Before NFL training camps get underway later this month, we’re taking a closer look at the top 2015 cap hits for teams around the league. We began our series in June by focusing on the NFC East and AFC East divisions, before looking at the NFC North, AFC North, and NFC South last week. Earlier this week, we recapped the AFC South and NFC West, and today we’ll wrap up our series by concluding with the AFC West.
Listed below are the top 10 cap hits for the coming season for each of the four AFC West franchises, accompanied by some observations on the spending habits of those clubs. Let’s dive in….
Denver Broncos:
- Peyton Manning, QB: $17,500,000
- Demaryius Thomas, WR: $12,823,000
- Von Miller, OLB: $9,754,000
- DeMarcus Ware, OLB: $8,666,666
- T.J. Ward, S: $7,750,000
- Aqib Talib, CB: $6,968,750
- Louis Vasquez, G: $6,250,000
- Emmanuel Sanders, WR: $5,850,000
- Britton Colquitt, P: $3,750,000
- Chris Harris, CB: $3,000,000
Total: $82,312,416
The top three contracts on the Broncos’ list are all ones worth keeping an eye on. Manning’s cap number for 2015 was adjusted earlier in the offseason, bringing it down from $21.5MM, while Thomas and Miller are both candidates for extensions. Thomas’ figure is based on the franchise tag and Miller’s is based on the fifth-year option — presumably, the team would like to lock up at least one of those two players to a long-term contract this offseason to avoid having to decide between them for the franchise tag in 2016.
Elsewhere on the list, Sanders and Harris look like two of the NFL’s best bargains. Harris’ cap hit will jump to $9MM in 2016, but based on what Byron Maxwell received on the open market this winter, that still looks like a very fair price for one of the top cornerbacks in the league. As for Sanders, his cap charge continues to be very affordable next year, at just $6MM.
One name that jumps out on this list is Colquitt, who is a solid but unspectacular punter, ranking 23rd in net average last year. It looks like the team will probably carry him this year, but when his cap hit increases to $4MM in 2016, with just $750K in dead money, it may be time to bring in some legitimate competition at the position.
Kansas City Chiefs:
- Alex Smith, QB: $15,600,000
- Justin Houston, OLB: $13,195,000
- Dwayne Bowe, WR: $8,894,118 (dead money)
- Eric Berry, S: $8,357,700
- Jamaal Charles, RB: $7,970,835
- Sean Smith, CB: $7,750,000
- Eric Fisher, LT: $6,051,954
- Derrick Johnson, LB: $5,250,000
- Tamba Hali, OLB: $4,964,706
- Chase Daniel, QB: $4,800,000
Total: $82,834,313
Like the Broncos, the Chiefs have a franchise player near the top of their list of cap numbers, so if Houston reaches a long-term agreement with the club within the next few days, his number could be reduced.
Still, there are some unexpected names here for Kansas City — Bowe, for instance, will be playing in Cleveland this season while he continues to count for nearly $9MM against the Chiefs’ cap. It’s also not clear if Berry will be able to return to the field in 2015, though obviously his recovery from lymphoma is more important than any cap considerations.
When I looked at the NFC West earlier this week, I observed that the Cardinals were one of the league’s only teams with two quarterbacks amongst their top 10 cap charges. Kansas City is the other club to have that honor, and it’s somewhat surprising that Daniel’s contract hasn’t been addressed. The Chiefs clearly value him highly, having made him one of the NFL’s highest-paid backups, despite the fact that he has only thrown 75 passes in his career.
Oakland Raiders:
- Rodney Hudson, C: $13,000,000
- Dan Williams, DT: $8,000,000
- Nate Allen, S: $7,000,000
- Tyvon Branch, S: $6,671,000 (dead money)
- Curtis Lofton, LB: $6,500,000
- Austin Howard, RT: $6,400,000
- Donald Penn, LT: $5,400,000
- Justin Tuck, DE: $4,968,750
- Khalil Mack, OLB: $4,244,773
- Charles Woodson, S: $4,200,000
Total: $66,384,523
The Raiders entered the offseason with a boatload of cap room to use, and they took advantage by lavishing lucrative contracts onto a handful of free agents who may not have been entirely deserving of such big annual salaries.
Still, it’s worth pointing out that the figures here for Hudson, Williams, Allen, and Lofton aren’t quite representative of their per-year salaries — all four players will see their cap numbers decrease in future seasons, with Hudson dipping most drastically between 2015 and 2016, from $13MM to $7.7MM. The contracts themselves may not turn out to be smart investments, but Oakland was smart to allocate larger cap hits to 2015, when the team had cap space to burn.
The Raiders, like a handful of other teams we’ve examined so far, benefit from not having to spend big yet on their young quarterback, but the club’s spending habits at other positions are a little unusual. While most teams would invest most heavily in players on the outside – left tackles, edge rushers, wide receivers, and cornerbacks – the Raiders’ top 2015 cap hits are all for up-the-middle players, including a center, defensive tackle, safety, and inside linebacker.
San Diego Chargers:
- Philip Rivers, QB: $17,416,668
- Eric Weddle, S: $10,100,000
- Antonio Gates, TE: $9,762,500
- Corey Liuget, DT: $7,977,000
- Donald Butler, LB: $5,480,000
- Malcom Floyd, WR: $4,716,668
- Orlando Franklin, G: $4,400,000
- Mike Scifres, P: $4,347,500
- Brandon Flowers, CB: $4,250,000
- King Dunlap, LT: $4,125,000
Total: $72,575,336
The Chargers’ top 10 cap numbers for 2015 are made up nearly entirely of players who are entering the final year of their respective contracts and players who just signed new contracts with the club this offseason. Only Butler, who signed an extension in 2014, and Scifres, who is under contract for 2016, don’t meet this criteria.
Of the longtime Chargers entering the final year of their contracts, Rivers appears to have the best chance of reaching a long-term extension that would affect his cap number for 2015. Talks between the Chargers and Weddle haven’t gone well, Gates is facing a four-game suspension, and Floyd has talked about the possibility of retiring after the coming season.
As for the recently signed players, Liuget, Flowers, and Dunlap re-upped with San Diego this offseason, with Flowers and Dunlap narrowly avoiding reaching the open market, while Franklin was poached from the division-rival Broncos. All four players will see their cap numbers rise after this season, going from a combined $20.752 in 2015 to a total of $33.275 in 2016.
Information from Over the Cap was used in the creation of this post.
Community Tailgate: 7/10/15
We’re still about two months away from the start of battles on the NFL gridiron, but there’s no offseason when it comes to debate amongst fans. Earlier this summer, we launched a new series here at PFR that will be known as the Community Tailgate. What’s the Community Tailgate all about? Well, it’s pretty simple. Every weekday, we’ll highlight one of the top stories going on in the NFL. Then, in the comment section below, we want you to weigh in and let us know what you think.
Of course, while the debate may get spirited, we ask that it all stays respectful. If you need a reminder of our rules, please check out our commenting policy. Basically, we ask that you refrain from inappropriate language, personal insults, and attacks. Speaking of commenting: we’ve made it much easier to leave a comment here at Pro Football Rumors. You are no longer required to be a registered user – simply put in your name, email address, and comment and submit.
Today, we’ll focus on the afternoon’s big news and take a closer look at the reduction of Greg Hardy‘s suspension. After initially being banned for 10 games, the Cowboys defensive end had his suspension cut to four games today by arbitrator Harold Henderson, who said in a statement that 10 games was “simply too much of an increase over prior cases.”
Taking into account the details of Hardy’s domestic violence case, a mere four-game suspension sounds awfully light, especially considering Tom Brady is currently facing the same penalty for his possible involvement in DeflateGate, a case which lacked the sort of hard evidence available against Hardy. Of course, the two cases are wildly different, but it still isn’t a good look for the NFL that the two players are facing equal penalties.
On the other hand, Hardy’s domestic incident took place while the league’s old personal conduct policy was still in effect, and that policy called for a two-game suspension for this sort of violation. Throw in the fact that Hardy was forced out of action for 15 games in 2014, spending time on the commissioner’s exempt list while the legal process played out, and you could make a case that the four-game ban is still too much. Agent Drew Rosenhaus left the door open today for Hardy to continue to fight the suspension in court in an effort to reduce it to two games, though Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (video link) says that’s unlikely to happen.
What do you think? Is a four-game suspension fair for Hardy? Should he and his camp drop their fight and accept the reduced penalty? And, on a somewhat related note, does today’s ruling alter your view of Brady’s appeal, and how Roger Goodell might rule in that case? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and opinions and the subject. We’re looking forward to hearing what you have to say!
NFC Notes: Washington, Panthers, Rams, 49ers
On Wednesday morning, a federal judge in Virginia ordered the U.S. Patent Office to cancel registration of the Washington Redskins‘ trademark registrations, upholding an earlier ruling by the federal Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. Responding to the news, team president Bruce Allen released a statement soon after.
“I am surprised by the judge’s decision to prevent us from presenting our evidence in an open trial,” Allen said in the statement (via CSNWashington.com). “We look forward to winning on appeal after a fair and impartial review of the case. We are convinced that we will win because the facts and the law are on the side of our franchise that has proudly used the name Redskins for more than 80 years.”
No one expected Washington to roll over and allow its trademark registration to be canceled without a fight, so Allen’s statement didn’t come as a surprise. As we wait to see how that case plays out, let’s check in on a few more items from around the NFC….
- Greg Hardy‘s reduced suspension is good news for the Panthers, who will be eligible to receive a compensatory draft pick in 2016 if Hardy is on the Cowboys’ roster for 10 games, writes David Newton of ESPN.com. Under the terms of the initial suspension, Hardy wouldn’t have been active for more than six regular season contests in 2015.
- The Rams were wise to bolster their offensive line depth by taking Clemson tackle Isaiah Battle in Thursday’s supplemental draft, Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes. Battle joins 2015 draft picks Rob Havenstein, Jamon Brown, Andrew Donnal, and Cody Wichmann as part of a rookie-heavy unit for the Rams, and while he’s green, Battle is said to possess serious upside. The cost of selecting the underclassman was a fifth-round choice in the 2016 draft, a small price to pay in Gordon’s estimation.
- The 49ers have made a habit of using some of their draft picks in recent years on “redshirt”-type players who are coming off injuries So far, those draftees haven’t made a real impact for the team so far, according to Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com, who examines a few players who fit the bill.
- Tom Benson‘s lawsuit seeking to cut his daughter and grandchildren out of ownership of the Saints will continue in New Orleans, after U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo denied a motion to dismiss the case. The Associated Press has the latest details on the Benson family feud.
Zach Links contributed to this post.
Greg Hardy’s Suspension Cut To Four Games
2:34pm: Henderson has issued a statement to accompany his ruling, and Albert Breer of the NFL Network has the full text:
“After consideration of all the record evidence and arguments, I conclude that the Commissioner acted within his authority and properly exercised his discretion in finding that Hardy violated the NFL Personal Conduct Policy.
“I find that the conduct of Hardy clearly violates the letter and spirit of any version of the PCP since its inception, and of the NFL Constitution and Bylaws long before then. The egregious conduct exhibited here is indefensible in the NFL.
“However, ten games is simply too much, in my view, of an increase over prior cases without notice such as was done last year, when the ‘baseline’ for discipline in domestic violence or sexual assault cases was announced as a six-game suspension. Therefore, the discipline of Mr. Hardy hereby is modified to a suspension of four games; all other terms of the discipline letter remain in place.”
1:24pm: More than six weeks after the appeal hearing, arbitrator Harold Henderson has made his decision on Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. According to NFL PR man Brian McCarthy (Twitter link), Hardy’s suspension has been upheld, but the penalty has been reduced from 10 games to four games.
As Albert Breer of the NFL Network observes (via Twitter), Hardy’s new suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy appears to represent a compromise between the league’s old policy and new policy. While the old policy called for a two-game ban, a domestic incident calls for a six-game suspension under the league’s new guidelines.
The incident for which Hardy is being suspended occurred when the NFL’s old personal conduct policy was still in place, but by the time the case was resolved and the league handed down its discipline, the new policy had been implemented, creating some confusion about how the case was handled.
While Henderson’s ruling looks like a big win on the surface for Hardy and the Cowboys, the defensive end and the NFLPA could still choose to file a lawsuit, challenging the decision in court. Earlier this week, we heard conflicting accounts on Hardy’s willingness to continue the fight, with one report suggesting he’d likely accept his suspension if it were reduced by a few games, while another report indicated he’d challenge the ban if it was for more than two games.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link), agent Drew Rosenhaus said today that he’ll confer with Hardy, the NFLPA, and his lawyers before deciding whether or not to proceed with legal action.
For now, assuming Hardy accepts the four-game suspension, he’ll have the potential to earn up to about $10.628MM this season, as Joel Corry of CBSSports.com tweets. The 26-year-old’s contract has a modest base salary, but features up to $9.25MM in per-game roster bonuses and about $1.8MM in incentives. By getting his penalty reduced from 10 games to four games, Hardy will have the opportunity to earn nearly $3.5MM in extra per-game roster bonuses.
As a refresher, Hardy allegedly assaulted and threatened to kill ex-girlfriend Nicole Holder in May of 2014. After being found guilty by a judge, Hardy was scheduled to get a jury trial, but due to a lack of cooperation by Holder, the charges against the defensive end were ultimately dismissed, as he reached a civil settlement with his accuser. While the case played out, Hardy spent the 2014 season on the commissioner’s exempt list for the Panthers, missing all but one game. The Cowboys signed Hardy earlier this offseason before word of his suspension broke, and the new four-game ban is about what the team had initially expected.
With Hardy’s case resolved – barring further legal action from his camp and the NFLPA – the next appeal to be addressed is Tom Brady‘s. A decision on Brady could reportedly come as early as next week, though I wouldn’t be surprised if it took longer than that for Roger Goodell to make an announcement. Despite the drastic differences in their cases, the reduction of Hardy’s penalty might bode well for the Patriots quarterback.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.