Darnold ends holdout, inks 4-year deal
Concussion claims reach $500 million in two years
Sam Darnold is signed, sealed and back under center.
The New York Jets inked the rookie quarterback to a four-year, $30.25 million deal Monday, ending the contract holdout of the NFL’s No. 3 overall draft pick.
Darnold missed the first three days of training camp while his representatives and the team worked out the details.
The 21-year-old quarterback is expected to compete with Josh McCownandTeddy Bridgewater for the Jets’ starting job.
While the amount of Darnold’s contract was already clear under the NFL’s wage slotting system, the hang-up appeared to be over contract language.
One issue was offsets, which, if included, could provide a team with a measure of financial protection if it cuts a player during his rookie contract. The Jets have historically included offset language in their contracts. Not having offset language, a condition that Darnold’s representatives apparently sought, allows a player to receive his remaining salary from the team that cut him, as well as get paid by another team that signs him.
According to published reports, another issue was default language related to the guaranteed money. Some teams include stipulations that could void guarantees if a player is fined and/or suspended by the Jets rookie quarterback Sam Darnold signed a four-year, $30.25 million deal. NFL for disciplinary reasons.
Pro Football Talk reported that Darnold’s contract includes offset language on future guarantees, but the Jets agreed to pay his full $20 million signing bonus within the next15 days and removed language in the deal voiding guarantees based on fines by the NFL. NFL concussion claims hit $500 million: More than $500 million in claims were approved as of Monday under the NFL’s concussion settlement, nearly a decade earlier than league officials estimated they would reach that amount.
Claims administrators in the settlement released an updated report saying about $502 million had been approved in less than two years of the settlement. The original actuarial estimates from the NFL estimated a little more than $400 million would be paid out in the first decade.
Attorneys for the retired players adjusted their estimates on the total payout of expected claims earlier this month, saying the settlement would likely reach $1.4 billion— almost a half billion more than the NFL originally estimated.