After skipping the offseason program, losing a $200,00 workout bonus and subjecting himself to up to $70,000 in fines for skipping a mandatory minicamp, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis decided to stop the financial bleeding by showing up for training camp.
Per a league source, his decision to show up for training camp was influenced by multiple factors, including but not limited to $30,000 per day in fines and, after five days, partial signing bonus forfeiture.
The source says Davis still wants a new contract, and he’s “definitely” not OK with proceeding absent a raise. The team reportedly won’t negotiate with players who are holding out.
It’s possible one specific type of negotiation already has occurred. It’s common for teams to waive fines when a holdout ends, and it’s just as common for no one to talk about it. It’s a point Hines Ward recently made on NBCSN’s Pro Football Talk, regarding his own 2005 holdout, which lasted until the middle of August.
As to Davis, no one is saying anything. And perhaps all that that implies.