Packers can limit financial commitment to Graham
GREEN BAY – The three-year contract tight end Jimmy Graham received from the Green Bay Packers is worth $30 million and includes $11 million in guaranteed money, but the Packers can limit his take to $13 million if they decide after one season that things aren’t working out.
According to a source with access to NFL Players Association salary data, Graham’s contract features a $5 million roster bonus due on the third day of the 2019 league year, which will take place in mid-March. If the Packers don’t pay the roster bonus, they will owe nothing more than the $13 million Graham is due to earn in 2018.
The structure limits Graham’s 2018 salary-cap number to $5,666,667.
His 2019 salary-cap number jumps to $12,666,667. The Packers can cut that by $2.5 million if they guarantee Graham’s $5 million roster bonus.
If they don’t pay Graham his roster bonus, they will carry $7,333,333 of dead money on their 2019 salary cap.
With Graham’s signing, the Packers are $25.07 million under the salary cap. That does not include the oneyear free-agent deal defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson signed.
Here are details of Graham’s deal: Signing bonus: $11 million.
2018
Base salary: $1.45 million.
Per game roster bonus (total): $300,000.
Workout bonus: $200,000. Salary-cap number: $5,666,667. 2019
Base salary: $3,450,000.
March roster bonus: $5 million. Per-game roster bonus: $300,000. Workout bonus: $250,000. Salary-cap number: $12,666,667. 2020
Base salary: $7,450,000. Per-game roster bonus total: $300,000.
Workout bonus: $250,000. Salary-cap number: $11.67 million.
* Deal includes $250,000 Pro Bowl incentive each year.
Wilkerson’s guarantee: The oneyear deal Wilkerson signed is worth $4.7 million and features $1.5 million in guaranteed money.
It includes $2.75 million in incentives, which are unlikely to be earned, as Wilkerson would have to outperform his numbers from last season with the New York Jets to earn them.
Wilkerson’s cap number in 2018 is $4,587,500.
Adding Wilkerson’s cap number with Graham’s 2018 salary-cap number totals $9.25 million, which is less than the $10.25 million the Packers cleared when they released wide receiver Jordy Nelson.
The two signings leave the Packers roughly $21 million under the salary cap.
Here are the details of Wilkerson’s deal:
Signing bonus: $1.5 million.
2018
Base salary: $1.6 million. Reporting bonus: $1 million. Per-game roster bonus (total): $600,000.
*Deal includes $2.75 million of unlikely-to-be earned incentives.
Numbers game: Graham will be returning to a former jersey number in Green Bay. Graham, who wore No. 88 during his three seasons with the Seattle Seahawks, will wear No. 80 with the Packers (the number he wore for five seasons with the New Orleans Saints).
Graham couldn’t wear No. 80 in Seattle because it was retired by the team in honor of Hall of Fame receiver Steve Largent.
No. 88 on Green Bay’s roster is worn by running back Ty Montgomery, who kept the number after switching from the wide receiver position.