Report: Packers Kicker Mason Crosby Restructures Contract
Crosby will reportedly earn $800,000 in base salary in 2013 with incentives to make $1.6 million more.
According to Brian McIntyre of Yahoo Sports:
Crosby had been scheduled to earn $2.4 million in base salary during the 2013 season. Under the restructured contract, Crosby will earn $800,000 in base salary, which will be fully guaranteed if he's on the team's roster on Saturday, Sept. 7. Crosby can make up the $1.6 million difference via roster bonuses throughout the season and through performance incentives.
Obviously this was a response to Crosby's miserable 2012 season in which he made an NFL-low 63.6 percent of his field goal attempts.
The final two years of Crosby's contract were not changed, per McIntyre. Crosby's base salary in 2014 is $2.65 million with a cap figure of $3.4 million. In 2015, those figures are $2.8 million in base salary and a $3.55 million cap hit, as indicated by Spotrac.com.
The thinking within the Packers organization could be that they'll be happy to pay Crosby his previously agreed upon salaries in 2014 and 2015 if he proves himself in 2013, and there will now be plenty of financial incentive for him to do so.
News of Crosby's restructured contract also makes it all but guaranteed he'll be the Packers' kicker when the regular season opens Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, all but nixing the chance that they bring back Giorgio Tavecchio or sign any other kicker.
Of course, if Crosby falls on his face during the regular season, the Packers may be back to Square 1, but they'll have to cross that bridge if and when it comes to that.
Comments (20)
August 29, 2013 at 10:41 am
$800K must be close to veteran minimum for him.
August 29, 2013 at 10:44 am
Now this is a message. Easier to cut, if he sucks it up.
Sergio on speed dial...
August 29, 2013 at 10:49 am
Here's hoping Crosby earns every dime of that $1.6 million.
August 29, 2013 at 02:45 pm
Indeed
August 29, 2013 at 10:51 am
..why didn't they do Hawks contract that way...J.K....or am I!?!?
Usually in the business world you are paid according to actual performance...not estimated value...but then again; If they did that A-Rod would be $125863643892 a year, so I guess we can make due with overpriced LBs'ers, kickers etc....
August 29, 2013 at 03:30 pm
Thing is, Hawk has always been a team leader in tackles. Not sure how this would have changed him much.
August 29, 2013 at 10:55 am
Yup saw this earlier, its how a contract should be structured as far as I am concerned.
August 29, 2013 at 11:08 am
There you go Brian, he's restructured down to his dead money levels this season.
August 29, 2013 at 11:26 am
Wow, has there ever been a more transparent contract. Usually with a player there's quite a bit of subjectivity to it, but with Crosby it's either hit or miss - get paid or not paid. Talk about the pressure now when he lines up for a kick. Baby needs a new pair of shoes.
Also pressure on the Ginger Wolverine to get the snap down properly. Crosby better treat him right.
August 29, 2013 at 12:11 pm
The psychology behind the pay cut makes sense. Crosby no longer has to prove he's worth what he's getting...instead must earn what he gets. I think this is actually a burden off of Crosby's shoulders.
August 29, 2013 at 12:39 pm
Finally Crosby is held "accountable" by McCarthy and Thompson as was Harrell. Unless he is in a lot of win or tie situations he has a chance to make the money back, no matter what your opinion of him is history has shown he cannot kick under PRESSURE.
August 29, 2013 at 02:21 pm
He actually gets the money back as long as he stays on the roster (in the form of roster bonuses)...unless you are speaking figuratively.
August 29, 2013 at 02:30 pm
There are also performance incentives.
August 29, 2013 at 12:45 pm
So if McCarthy is looking at a 55 yarder or going for it, and he goes to Crosby to be like, "Can you make this?", Crosby's going to do a quick math problem, and be like "ehh, it's windy today, probably should just go for it."
August 29, 2013 at 05:11 pm
Lol
August 29, 2013 at 05:14 pm
We all do now. I think a change has happened Lets leave out any words like "cross" as in bar or bridge in further stories on number 2 please
August 29, 2013 at 02:13 pm
I understand that they did this in case they end up releasing him mid-season. But I also can't think of a worse way to put more pressure on a guy who has the jitters.
August 29, 2013 at 02:39 pm
I think will force Crosby to focus more, and get his head right. He has money and a job on the line now. MM stood by him too much last year, so he had nothing to lose. Now, he'll be bagging groceries at Piggly Wiggly if he can't make kicks.
August 29, 2013 at 04:09 pm
Some may consider this double-secret probation, but other gifted kickers have gone through slumps and recovered. Putting this highest priority carrot back on the end of stick may be just what Crosby needs to get past whatever lesser demons may be haunting his focus. I give him a lot of credit for renegotiating a fair deal for the team's sake, and wish Mason best.
August 29, 2013 at 06:21 pm
fine - but they need to cut him after this year and get someone real. you can't pay a kicker of his caliber 3 mil a year.
he's lucky to get a dollar this year. i'd rather have taveccio for 600 k than pay for crosby's crap.
What boggles my mind is tavecchio OUTKICKED HIM ALL CAMP. WTF.
we know masthay can kick off. what's the problem here?