Defining NFL roster bonuses.
2020 NFL CBA Explained: Signing Bonus
Explaining signing bonuses and the proration of them in NFL contract.
2020 NFL CBA Explained: Base Salary
During the course season, NFL players receive installments of their base or "Paragraph 5" salary. Under the new CBA, the period over which the players receive these installments are increased significantly.
2020 NFL CBA Explained: Franchise Tag
Defining and examining the NFL franchise tag (exclusive & non-exclusive) and transition tender under the new 2020 CBA.
NFL Contract/Free Agency Glossary
Types of Free Agents UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENT A player with four-or-more accrued seasons and an expired contract is an unrestricted free agent. Unrestricted free agents are free to negotiate with any team. RESTRICTED FREE AGENT A player with three accrued seasons and an expired contract is a restricted free agent. A restricted free agent is... Continue Reading →
2017 NFL Contracts: Fifth-Year Option Predictions
Team have until May 2 to exercise their Fifth-Year Options for first-rounders from the 2014 NFL Draft. For an explanation of the Fifth-Year Option, click here. Jadeveon Clowney, Houston Texans After missing 15 of his first 32 career games, Clowney finally proved to be the player the Texans expected when he was selected first overall.... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: NFL Minimum Salaries
In the NFL, salary is defined as “…the compensation in money, property, investments, loans or anything else of value to which an NFL player…is entitled in accordance with a Player Contract, but not including benefits (NFL CBA, p. 90). A player and team can agree to different types of payments that can affect the salary... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: Dead Money and Salary Cap Acceleration
Dead Money and Acceleration The term “Dead Money” refers to the amount of player’s salary that a team has already committed to but hasn’t been charged to the cap (NFL CBA, p. 93-95). It’s essentially a sunk cost. Signing bonus prorations, fully guaranteed base salaries and earned bonuses are examples of dead money—money a team... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: Incentives and Salary Escalators
Incentives in veteran player contracts, unlike those rookie deals that are limited to playing time, can be earned through the accomplishment of individual and team goals (i.e. statistics, playing time, awards, etc.) specified in the contract (NFL CBA, p. 96-104). For a list of acceptable performance incentives see pages 98-101 in the CBA. There are... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: Option Bonus
An option bonus is similar to a roster bonus. However, rather than receiving money for remaining on a team on a certain date, the team has the “option” to pay the bonus or terminate the player’s contract. When an option bonus is exercised, it is subject to probation like a signing bonus. If the option... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: Workout Bonus
Some contracts also have workout bonuses, which a player earns by participating in an agreed upon percentage of the team’s offseason workout program. Most big contracts contain these bonuses as an incentive to get veteran players to attend voluntary workouts. A similar type of compensation is a reporting bonus. A player earns this bonus by... Continue Reading →
NFL Contracts Explained: Roster Bonus
A roster bonus is another form of compensation for NFL players. If a player contract contains a roster bonus in it, it is considered earned when the player remains on his team’s roster on a specified date. This type of bonus typically counts against the salary cap, in whole, during the League Year that it... Continue Reading →
