Plenty of you appreciate the fact that we cut through the incomplete and/or misleading reports regarding the value of a given contract and supply the facts. (Then again, plenty of you don’t, because it’s hardly the most exciting aspect of following the NFL.)
For those of you who don’t like it, we recommend the scroll button. For those of you who do, it’s time to get out your Rain Man notebook and start writing, because we have the details on linebacker Ahmad Brooks’ new six-year deal with the 49ers, courtesy of a league source with knowledge of the contract.
Brooks received $7.5 million to sign, and his $750,000 base salary for 2012 is fully guaranteed. (Then again, as pointed out last night, the first-year base salary is always as a practical matter guaranteed, because no player gets cut in the first year of a multi-year deal, especially where the base salary represents 10 percent of the signing bonus.)
That’s the extent of the fully guaranteed money in Brooks’ contract.
In 2012, Brooks also will receive a per-game active roster bonus of $31,500 — which for the full season becomes $500,000, and he’s eligible for a workout bonus of $100,000.
For 2013, Brooks has a $4.3 million base salary with an injury guarantee on signing. As of April 1, 2013, the salary becomes fully guaranteed, if Brooks is still on the roster.
The $4.3 million base salary also contains a so-called de-escalator; it can drop by up to $2.5 million based on Brooks’ sack production (or lack thereof) in 2012. The salary also can increase by up to $500,000. The deal contains for 2013 a $46,875 per-game active roster bonus ($750,000 for the year), and a $100,000 workout bonus.
In 2014, the base salary increases to $5.15 million. Of that amount, $4.95 million is guaranteed for injury only at signing. If Brooks is on the roster as of April 1, 2014, the $4.95 million becomes fully guaranteed. There’s a $2.5 million de-escalator tied to sacks in 2013; the de-escalator for 2014 goes away if the de-escalator applies in 2013. (Yep, I already have a headache.) The contract also contains another $46,875 per-game active roster bonus and a $100,000 workout bonus.
For 2015, a $6 million base salary could become partially guaranteed based on a complex formula of “ifs” and “ors.” The main factor for any base salary guarantee in 2015 is that Brooks must be on the roster as of April 1 that year. There’s also a de-escalator of up to $2.5 million based on 2014 sacks. The $46,875 per-game active roster bonus and the $100,000 workout bonus apply once again.
In 2016, the base salary is $6.5 million, with another de-escalator of up to $2.5 million based on 2015 sacks. Ditto for the $46,875 per-game active roster bonus and the $100,000 workout bonus.
In 2017, everything is the same, with the base salary moving to $6.95 million.
So it’s a one-year, $8.25 million fully-guaranteed contract with another $9 million or so in injury guarantees and an annual team option to pull the plug and move on.