As it pertains to new Bengals linebacker James Harrison, we now have a dollar figure to attach to pride.
And his was costly.
According to Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange, Harrison’s new two-year deal with the Bengals is worth $4.45 million, including a $1.2 million signing bonus.
The deal includes base salaries of $1.4 million and $1.1 million, workout bonuses of $100,000 each year, and per-game roster bonuses which could total $300,000 this year and $250,000 next year.
That means his maximum payout this year is $3 million.
Compare that to the what he could have made in Pittsburgh, and he clearly lost this offseason.
According to an earlier report, Harrison turned down a 30 percent pay cut from the Steelers, which included a chance to earn the balance back in incentives.
Based on the $6.57 million in base salary he would have received before he was released, that comes out to around $4.5 million this year.
So while he said he didn’t hate the Steelers, he’ll doubtless be motivated to make up the difference on the field twice this season.
