Posted on 03/02/2006 12:27:57 PM PST by mainepatsfan
Titans decline bonus, but pay $1M non-exercise fee By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com
In a move that all but assures Steve McNair will be back with the Tennessee Titans in 2006, the team has declined to pay the prohibitive $50 million option bonus built into his contract, but paid the quarterback a $1 million non-exercise fee that boosts his compensation for the coming season to $10 million.
Steve McNair Quarterback Tennessee Titans
Profile 2005 SEASON STATISTICS Att Comp Yds TD Int Rat 476 292 3027 16 11 82.4
The maneuver, confirmed by league sources, means that the perennially cap-strapped Titans gained considerable relief for 2006 on McNair's contract. But it also voids the final three years of the contract and makes the 2006 season the final year on the deal.
Without a subsequent extension to the contract, McNair will be eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.
McNair, 33, has a 2006 base salary of $9 million. Under terms of his deal, his base salaries would have been $11 million for 2007, $13 million for 2008 and $15 million for 2009. But those salaries would only have taken effect had the Titans paid the $50 million bonus to trigger the options on those three seasons, and they were never going to do that.
In fact, the staggering option bonus was built into the contract to force the two sides to the negotiating table after the 2005 campaign, which it has done. Although agreement on a new contract for McNair is not imminent, and general manager Floyd Reese indicated recently that the process could be a long one, the two sides will continue discussions.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
My "local" team as I live in North Mississippi, all I can say is I really dislike them, as their games with the Texans bumped Indy and the Pats from being shown! McNair is too old and too injury prone!
It's unfortunate injuries have taken it's toll on him. When he was healthy he was one of the top players in the league.
Move by team assures Titans will be uncompetitive next year...
I think that was going to be the case regardless.
Ya never know... give unknown guys a chance and sometimes they surprise.
It's at least possible in the NFL.
Tennessee has to take Jay Cutler at #3 don't they?
Right now all signs still point to Young.
The Chargers have let Brees go to free agency:
Doctor provides upbeat report on Brees' shoulder
And... they resigned Feeley:
I was originally hoping the Titans might be able to move down a few slots and pick up Cutler and nab a bonus player to boot, but now the word is out on Cutler and his stock has risen to the point that it's not unreasonable to think that Cutler will go in the top 3 or 4.
I've been a big McNair fan for a while, but he hasn't earned his salary for at least a couple of years. True, he's had an unusual amount of injuries and played through way more pain than just about anybody playing today, but he's gotten into a mode of not practicing or doing any of the little things that are required to take your game to the next level. If Peyton Manning relied only his natural abilities and not on putting in tons of time studying film, he wouldn't be given the accolades he gets now.
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