question about signing bonuses... - New England Patriots Forums

SamBam39 · 10-07-2006, 12:21 PM

I was reading that the titans are trying to get back a portion of haynesworth's signing bonus after he was suspended by the league, and
it got me to wondering - I thought a signing bonus was something a team paid you as a bonus for signing the contract? I thought it was meant to be an incentive to agree to the terms and go ahead and commit. so to me, once that bonus is paid, it has nothing to do with your annual salary after that, so I don't get how teams can go after that to be paid back based on the contract terms not being met - aren't they separate entities? - the contract and the bonus paid for signing it?

anyone knows can you please explain?

SamBam39 · 10-07-2006, 12:47 PM

bump - come on guys - doesn't anybody have any insight into this ?

Keegs · 10-07-2006, 12:52 PM

I was wondering that too.

I don't have an answer for you.

But this will bump it again.

SamBam39 · 10-07-2006, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Keegs

I was wondering that too.

I don't have an answer for you.

But this will bump it again.

bump - anybody???.......anybody???

***MoLewisrocks*** · 10-07-2006, 03:56 PM

Your signing bonus is really a small advance on each of the seasons of your contract. If the team decides to cut you, then you are protected. If you become unavailable due to conduct the NFL deems against the interest of the league (like being suspended for conduct or drug policy violations, getting shot, bungee jumping in the off season if it's precluded under the terms of your contract, or if as in the case of holdouts you simply refuse to show up, then they can try to recoup some of your bonus covering that time period as a result. The new CBA tightened up the rules about when and how they can do that, but they still can in many cases. Haynesworth must have had a sizeable SB if they are looking to go after what is probably one-twentieth of it. That said, they may be cutting him shortly thereafter and this is just their way of upping the financial cost to the player and recouping a few bucks before they take it in the shorts cap wise if they do in fact decide to cut him.

SamBam39 · 10-07-2006, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoLewisrocks

Your signing bonus is really a small advance on each of the seasons of your contract. If the team decides to cut you, then you are protected. If you become unavailable due to conduct the NFL deems against the interest of the league (like being suspended for conduct or drug policy violations, getting shot, bungee jumping in the off season if it's precluded under the terms of your contract, or if as in the case of holdouts you simply refuse to show up, then they can try to recoup some of your bonus covering that time period as a result. The new CBA tightened up the rules about when and how they can do that, but they still can in many cases. Haynesworth must have had a sizeable SB if they are looking to go after what is probably one-twentieth of it. That said, they may be cutting him shortly thereafter and this is just their way of upping the financial cost to the player and recouping a few bucks before they take it in the shorts cap wise if they do in fact decide to cut him.

so it's an advance of your salary - not a bonus for signing?
I think it should becalled something different then. I think the name
is misleading. I guess it started out as a bonus back in the day, but it has since evolved into a much more lagally defined vehicle, hence the discrepency between the name of it and what it actually is used for.

fair enough - thanks.