Browns defensive end Marcus Benard got lucky on Monday when he wrecked his three-wheel motorcycle into a guard rail, flew 241 feet through the air, and walked away with only a broken hand.
Benard has gotten even luckier, given that the Browns have decided to pay Benard the rest of his salary for the season.
Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Browns will pay Benard $370,000 while he is on the reserve/non-football injury list. The team would have been within its rights to cut him off.
The decision becomes even more impressive in light of the fact that Benard potentially violated paragraph 2 of the Standard Player Contract by engaging in activities that “may involve a significant risk of personal injury.”
Per Cabot, Browns coach Pat Shurmur said Wednesday that Benard still has a future with the team, even though his contract expires after this season. Benard will surely be more inclined to stick around, given that the Browns have given him a $370,000 gift.