Linebacker Aaron Curry isn’t the only member of the Seahawks who agreed to a reduced contract earlier this month. Veteran cornerback Marcus Trufant has dropped his pay dramatically for 2011, per a league source.
The source says that Trufant’s base salary for 2011 dropped from $5.9 million to $3 million via a new contract signed on August 20.
Trufant can earn it all back based on his performance this year. The new deal contains “not likely to be earned” incentives, which pay up to $2.65 million based on Trufant earning a spot on the Pro Bowl team and making a specific number of interceptions. The other $250,000 can be earned by meeting a specific playing-time threshold.
The rest of Trufant’s contract (base salary of $7.2 million in 2012 and base salary of $8.8 million in 2013, with a $100,000 workout bonus each year) remains unchanged.
Coach Pete Carroll recently dismissed the new Curry contract as having been done “months” ago, even though the deal was signed on August 13. In Trufant’s case, maybe Carroll will say that it was done only “weeks” ago.