The decision of Jets quarterback Geno Smith to push nearly $700,000 in base salary to workout bonuses for 2015 and 2016 sparked a back-and-forth regarding whether more players should do it.
One player who would advise against it is 49ers cornerback Tarell Brown.
Per multiple reports, Brown lost $2 million by failing to show up for the team’s offseason program.
Technically, it wasn’t a workout bonus. Brown’s salary hinged on participation in the offseason workouts. By failing to show, his base pay drops from $2.925 million to $925,000.
The good news for the 49ers is that the team has picked up $2 million in cap space.
The buzz in league circles is that Brown wasn’t aware of the amount of cash hinging on his participation in offseason workouts. On one hand, he signed the contract -- and arguably he should have read it. On the other hand, his agent (who has a clear incentive to see Brown maximize his compensation) may have failed to explain it to Brown.
Either way, Brown’s agent probably should read his malpractice insurance policy.