The Jets reworked Ryan Clady‘s contract in December, which will buy the team time to decide whether to retain the left tackle in 2017, reports ESPN’s Field Yates. Clady has reworked his deal twice since April, when the Jets acquired him from the Broncos.
Clady’s newly reworked pact takes away the $2.5MM roster bonus he’d have been due in February and folds it into his base salary. He’s now slated for a $10MM salary in 2017, though none of the money is guaranteed until Week 1 of the regular season. The 30-year-old could also make an additional $1MM via incentives next year.
The Jets’ hope when they landed Clady last spring was that he’d stay healthy and perform like the four-time Pro Bowl version of himself. Instead, Clady’s injury-prone ways continued and his effectiveness dipped. After missing all of the previous two seasons, Clady appeared in nine games (eight starts) and then went on injured reserve in November with a torn rotator cuff. The nine-year veteran finished just 62nd among Pro Football Focus’ 78 qualified tackles in overall performance.
No chance they keep him for Week 1 at that salary. They could cut him and resign him for a cheaper number than that. This deal just buys them time to see if they can find a cheaper replacement before eventually cutting him (and maybe resigning him).