The Redskins have paid defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth $30 million dollars in less than 16 months. Now that Haynesworth has given the team the proverbial finger and refused to show up for a mandatory minicamp in the hopes of forcing a trade, the team plans to fight back.
Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Redskins will try to recover the $21 million paid to Haynesworth as of April 1. Earlier today, coach Mike Shanahan indicated that the team was willing to cut Haynesworth before he received the money, and that Haynesworth was told that once he took the money, the team expected him to play whatever position the team asked him to play.
Per the report, the NFLPA “assured” Haynesworth before he decided to take a stand that he’d be able to keep his money. (We hope the NFLPA is current on its insurance premiums.) Another source tells Schefter that the relevant terms of the labor deal are “open to interpretation,” and that the egregious nature of Haynesworth’s actions could influence the outcome in the team’s favor.
The case will turn on the language of the contract and the forfeiture provisions of the CBA, which currently limits teams to the recovery of signing bonus money after a holdout or retirement.
We’re in the process of tracking down the contract so that we can analyze the issues and explain them -- even though only 17 or so of you will care about the details.