Jason Peters and Terrell Suggs have already lost some or all of their seasons to Achilles injuries.
According to a report from Chris Mortensen of ESPN, they may also be at risk of losing money. Both players fit the criteria for being placed on the Non-Football Injury list. Players aren’t entitled to any compensation while on the list, although the report says that the teams aren’t prepared to do anything that drastic.
The Eagles have reportedly already “amicably discussed” a salary reduction with Peters and his agent. Per Mortensen, Peters would be subject to the loss of at least the $3.25 million that the team is paying Demetress Bell, who they signed after Peters’ injury. Mortensen’s sources also said that Suggs, whose partial tear holds out hope he can return this year, could face a reduction.
Suggs also reportedly wants to restructure or extend his contract in light of winning the Associated Press 2011 Defensive Player of the Year Award. He’ll have to wait until his healthy to do that, but it’s another thing to toss into the mix of discussions between the sides.
If the players do wind up losing money, the lesson to players will be that they should do their working out at the team facility. Peters (the first time, anyway) and Suggs both say they were hurt while doing conditioning work, but they qualify for the Non Football Injury list because they were working out on their own. If the same thing happened at the team facility, they wouldn’t be at any risk.