If Washington safety Su’a Cravens follows through a potential retirement, it won’t be easy -- and it won’t be cheap.
Based on his rookie contract, which included a signing bonus of $1.422 million, Cravens possibly would have to pay back 75 percent of it. That would be $1.06 million.
Washington wouldn’t be required to demand the refund, but why wouldn’t they? A signing bonus is advance compensation for future services. If the services aren’t provided, the signing bonus isn’t earned.
Cravens also would be walking away from a 2017 salary of $651,000 if he retires now, along with salaries of $852,000 in 2018 and $1.05 million in 2019.
The reasons for Cravens’ retirement contemplation aren’t currently clear. Whatever the motivation, it sounds like this one isn’t over yet. And it sounds like Washington needs to immediately make plans for moving forward at some point without him.