releases, injury settlement, and retirement

[ColinG]

I've been trying to do some reach on NFL Rules regarding releases, injury settlement, and retirement. To date I have only been able to discover the following.

Released
- Change Teams: players may sign on with any team (including the one they just left) as they are considered UFA.
- Cap Hit: Teams will be charged in the year of the release the total value of the remaining signing bonus. After June 1st, teams that release players defer the remaining unamortized portion of their signing bonus to the next year.
- Other: may not release a player currently injured without an injury settlement.

Injury Settlement
- Change Teams: The player can sign with any other team or re-sign with the original team after 10 weeks
- Cap Hit: the player agrees to a lump sum payment that is counted toward the teams total cap figure for that year (I haven't found anything that addresses remaining signing bonus but I believe you treat it as you would a release).
- Other: a team is not allowed to re-sign a player for that season if they cut him during the preseason (only found this reference in one place).

Retirement
- Change Teams: Players that retire may not go to another team until enough time has elapsed that their contract would have naturally expired.
- Cap Hit: Teams will be charged the normal value of that player's signing bonus the year they retire with the remaining value added to the next year's cap numbers.
- Other: Players MAY be require to return a portion of their signing bonus to the team based in part on amount of time remaining on the contract and the willingness of the player to cooperate (it appears teams have to petition both the NFLPA and the Commissioner for this refund but from the sources I found it is unclear).

There are of course other cases such as Physically Unable to Perform and Unrelated Injury (i.e. pickup basketball games) but I haven't found anything specific on those. Can anyone shed more light on various option, specifically as it may relate to Patrick Jeffers? Thanks.

Oh, and please feel free to correct any of my above contentions.

 

[slydevl]

Specifically as it relates to Jeffers.....let me see.

You all are a bunch or whiny ass pessimists.

Jeffers is no worse now than he was the end of last year.

He had two scopes during the off season but no further injury.

He is and will be capable of playing at least to the level he did the last four games of last year if not better.

That is all.

 

[ColinG]

I think Jeffers is a great guy but he needs a year to heal completely. Reports from the American Medical Journal now indicate it is far worse to get your knees scoped than not. With a solid year to recover and no one muckin around with his body parts, I'd like to invite him back next year for summer camp and see how he's doing. He is a class act and I'd love for us to be able to give him another chance. Chuck Smith refused to take the honorable route as it required giving back some of his signing bonus. We'll see want happens here. Probably an injury settlement.

 

[Big Russ]

Exactly how effective was he the last 4 games of last year? Not very. After two scopes, he won't be any better, and could be worse.

We could play Hankton or a Rook and get that type of production. I personally thing it's time to cut ties.

 

[T_Schroll]

Jeffers game is based on his speed. If his knees are shot-no speed, no roster spot.

 

[meatpile]

That and the speed of his cuts.

I'll be very surprised if he even makes it to camp.

 

[ColinG]

IR, PUP, SAS

Okay, here is 3 more answers to a rapidly forming FAQ that I can't seem to find in any one single place.

Injured Reserve
- Change Teams: No, out for the year. Does not count against the team's 53 man roster.
- Cap Hit/Savings: Salary is counted for the entire season.
- Other: The player is still bound by his contract and cannot be released without an injury settlement.

Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)
- Change Teams: No, it is a form of Injured Reserve. The player does not count against the team's 53 man roster.
- Cap Hit/Savings: Salary is counted for the entire season.
- Other: The team can remove those players from the PUP list at any time before final cuts. However, they will have to make a decision on whether to keep them on the PUP list, which means they would be out six weeks, or take them off by Sept. 1.
Under league guidelines, a player is eligible to begin practicing with the team any time from the day after the sixth regular-season weekend through the day after the ninth regular season weekend. Once a player passes his physical and begins practicing, he then has a 21-day window in which he may be activated from PUP. If he is not activated within that time period, he must stay on physically unable to perform for the duration of the season.

Substance Abuse Suspension (3rd offense)
- Change Teams: No. The player does not count against the team's 53 man roster.
- Cap Hit/Savings: The team has to account for a prorated portion of their signing bonus in the team's salary cap but not their base salary.
- Other: Suspended for one year. Their scheduled base salaries will be pushed back a year, essentially extending their contract.

 

[meatpile]

PUP might not be bad for Jeffers, but I dunno why we'd bother.

 

[ColinG]

I agree that PUP would be best for Jeffers if not Released with an Injury Settlement but to be honest, I don't see the value of putting anyone on Injured Reserve. Does anyone no if there is a restriction that states you can only put someone on the PUP list before the season, preseason, or training camp?

 

[T_Schroll]

Put him on PUP and he doesn't cost us a dime until activated after the 10th week. If he's not ready then, cut him. He's been given two years to get healthly and so far hasn't. Time to cut our losses and move on.