When veteran players coming off injuries have their jobs taken away from them, “restructuring” their contract is usually a euphemism.
That seems to be the case with Panthers linebacker Jon Beason.
According to Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, Beason’s new deal basically involved turning his $5.25 million base salary into a $1 million guaranteed base, with no adjustments to future years.
Beason’s played five games since cashing in his six-year, $51 million contract after the lockout, plagued by shoulder and knee problems.
And with last year’s first-rounder Luke Kuechly taking over in the middle and moving him to the outside, Beason didn’t have nearly the leverage to expect the full amount of the old deal.
UPDATE 6:54 p.m. ET: A league source tells PFT that in addition to the $1 million guaranteed base salary, Beason also will get a $500,000 roster bonus on Saturday and a $250,000 workout bonus, and he can get up to $1.75 million in per-game roster bonuses and a $500,000 Pro Bowl bonus.