Los Angeles Chargers left sort out Rashawn Slater has had a whirlwind of a summer season. First, he bought divorced from his spouse Stassney Brown. Then, he signed an historic contract extension to stick with the Chargers, a deal price $114 million over 4 years, with $92 million assured. It is the best common annual pay for a lineman in NFL historical past. The contract additionally included a $29 million signing bonus.
Some followers and reporters noted the timing of the deal was intriguing. Had Slater signed it earlier than the divorce was finalized, he may have presumably owed his ex-wife a few of his earnings. It actually bought folks buzzing, and Brown even shot again at NFL reporter and aggregator Dov Kleiman, saying, “His contract will not be about me” and calling it “deplorable” that Kleiman highlighted the deal’s “good timing.”
The extra possible state of affairs is that Slater’s deal bought finalized throughout the identical time interval the Chargers usually lengthen their gamers, in July and August. The divorce simply so occurred to be shortly earlier than that timeframe.
However now, there is a new main concern for the summer season: Slater suffered a torn patella tendon throughout follow and is out for the 12 months after present process season-ending surgical procedure.
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Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh deemed the damage as a “intestine punch,” although it additionally delivered to gentle one other wrinkle of the contract. The crew bought an insurance policy in opposition to a career-ending damage. If Slater returns to the sphere, the coverage will not come into play, but when he has to hold up his cleats for good, the crew will get cap aid beginning within the 2027 season.
Along with the $29 million signing bonus, Slater will obtain a base wage of $2 million and a roster bonus of $7 million. That is a collective $38 million regardless of not taking part in a single snap within the common season.
Season-ending accidents are at all times tough to cope with, particularly after they occur earlier than the common season even begins. Slater will relaxation up and start rehabbing ultimately. Within the meantime, possibly the data of tens of millions of {dollars} hitting his checking account may ease the sting of the damage a bit.
