Initial reports of the contract signed by Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch indicated that the four-year, $31 million deal included $18 million guaranteed. Lately, the real guaranteed money on signing has turned out to be roughly half of the reported amount.
Though we’ve yet to see the official Lynch numbers with our own two (as opposed to three) eyes, a source with knowledge of the situation tells PFT that Lynch’s contract promises $17 million fully guaranteed on signing.
It comes in the form of a $6 million signing bonus, a $4 million base salary in 2012 that is fully guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap purposes, and a $7 million base salary in 2013 that also is fully guaranteed for skill, injury, and cap purposes. (Which means that owner Paul Allen must set aside the $7 million to be paid next year now.)
The remaining $1 million in guaranteed money applies to a portion of his 2014 base salary, which is guaranteed for injury only.
In 2014, the full base salary is $5 million, with a $500,000 per-game roster bonuses and a $500,000 incentive for rushing for 1,500 yards.
The 2015 base salary is $5.5 million, with $2 million in per-game roster bonuses and $500,000 in incentives.
With a veteran running, no one ever knows when the end will comes. For Lynch, he’ll at least have $17 million (after taxes, unless Freddie Mitchell handles his 1040), regardless of when his career is over.