When Redskins tight end Fred Davis tore his left Achilles tendon in October, it seemed like his bid for a long-term contract starting in the 2013 season was torn to shreds with it.
Players coming off serious injuries don’t tend to land multi-year commitments, but Davis may not be out of luck. Mike Jones of the Washington Post spoke to a “league insider” who said that Davis could still land such a deal with the Redskins. The caveat is that the deal would be incentive-driven so that Davis is making less if he isn’t able to be on the field for the Redskins (or another team, presumably) during the term of the deal.
If such a deal is on the table, it could make for a tough decision for Davis. He was in line for a big payday this offseason after getting slapped with the franchise tag last season, but his injury will almost certainly mean he winds up making less money in 2013. Davis could take the security of a longer, less lucrative deal or he could opt to roll the dice on a one-year contract in hopes of hitting it big again this time next year.
Either way, Davis is likely to have a few million reasons to prove that he can be a significant contributor on the field in 2013.