Ja’Wuan James revealed Friday he underwent surgery to repair his torn Achilles’ tendon (Twitter link). He is also now a free agent. The Broncos released the veteran tackle late this afternoon, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets.
This will be a post-June 1 cut, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The transaction will allow the Broncos to spread out the dead-money hit caused by James’ signing bonus. What may well become a contentious matter, however: James’ $10.58MM base salary. James suffering the injury while working out away from the Broncos’ facility leaves him vulnerable on this front.
The Broncos will likely move to void James’ salary, Klis adds (on Twitter). This will likely precede an NFLPA grievance, though that is not certain. Following fellow Bronco DaeSean Hamilton‘s offsite ACL tear Friday, James tweeted the NFLPA needs to have players’ backs after advising them to boycott voluntary offseason workouts. This figures to set off a bigger-picture issue, with Hamilton’s 2021 salary — worth more than $2MM — now in jeopardy as well. Both would have been protected had they been training at the Broncos’ facility, which the NFL reiterated in a memo following James’ injury.
Denver had previously placed James on its reserve/NFI list, laying the groundwork for Friday’s move. The remaining $9MM in prorated signing bonus money will be due. The Broncos could go after James’ 2021 prorated amount ($3MM), but Klis tweets that is unlikely. The post-June 1 move means the Broncos will be docked less than $5MM in dead-money charges. That number would have been considerably higher had James, whose salary was guaranteed for injury (an onsite injury, that is), opted to attend the team’s voluntary workouts.
James’ injury will mean the Broncos’ run of different Week 1 right tackle starters will reach nine. The team has moved on and is set to hold a Bobby Massie–Cameron Fleming competition come training camp. Both veterans signed earlier this week. Each worked as a starter last season, Massie for the Bears and Fleming with the Giants. Signed to a four-year, $51MM deal in 2019, James was ticketed to be the Broncos’ long-term starter. But knee injuries in 2019 limited the former first-round pick to three games that season. Because of his 2020 opt-out and this Achilles development, the 29-year-old lineman’s Denver career will be capped at 63 snaps.
well the NFLPA should have done leg work before telling them to boycott and with that so to should the players. I mean u boycott and get injuried else were y should u NOT be held accountable .
Because the message that sends is “don’t work out in the off-season, sit on your couch and get fat. Get into shape during training camp.” The nfls stance makes no sense since players can’t possibly work out at the facility all off-season even if they wanted to.
The players signed the CBA, but now they aren’t held accountable?
This whole thing is a joke as far as the CBA and off-season workouts. A guaranteed contract, which is a whimsical thing in the nfl, (highest paid whatever position but only the 1st 2 -3 seasons are guaranteed) should be guaranteed regardless of whatever happened,unless there is negligence. For example, wrecking your quad or falling off a horse or whatever. But as sportsguy said what does the nfl want them to do sit around and wait for OTAs while doing nothing? It’s in the CBA so the owners have the right and the weak nlfpa is to blame for not fighting for more player rights as their union during negotiations of said CBA. But still if you show up as JaMarcus Russell’s fat butt did for the Raiders they get pissed at that as well. players can’t win..
They shouldn’t be guaranteed. For one, it’s bad business. I don’t care which leagues offer them. Two, players are paid to perform, not just be alive and breathe. James has been a disaster since being a Bronco.
apparently, you haven’t followed the NFL since Goodell became Comish. Biz is VERY good! 100x The profits.
Just for clarities sake, was commenting more on the fact the nflpa lauds these huge contracts when, other than someone like mahomes, most get cut before the contact is over. I failed to add that in my point above. Nflpa has let their membership down, was my main point
Generally on the players side when it comes to money, but this shows the union failed as a whole when it came to thinking through boycott offseason workouts, I hope other players learn from the hard lesson this James fella is about to get, tear your (insert muscle) on site you fools
James has already been paid multiple millions and has contributed nothing. Hard to feel any sympathy, especially considering the anti-team actions of the NFLPA.
I find it hard to ever sympathize with the teams. Their actions are anti-player every step they take.
Jame’s situation while sad is entirely his own doing. He was working out at the Broncos facility players union told him to leave and he did. So instead of working out with trainers, who may have noticed the Achilles pain before the injury and encouraged him to rest and not push it. Instead he was working on his own and got injured. Why isn’t the NFLPA responsible for this injury, why aren’t they guaranteeing his contract since he was following their advice? The NFLPA was aware or should have been aware that this clause exists in nearly all NFL players contract. It seem like James could have a case against the NFLPA for negligence or breach of it’s fiduciary duties when it gave him advice that was not in his best interest and placed his guaranteed money at risk?
Why would anyone, if they have other options, sign with Broncos after this?