SHANAHAN PUTTING HIS BUYOUT AT RISK?

When ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported on Saturday morning that former Broncos coach Mike Shanahan could land in Dallas, Mort cautioned that 2010, not 2009, could create better timing for all concerned. Since then, Adam Schefter of NFL Network has reported that the Cowboys are unlikely to make a move for Shanahan this year. And Peter King of NBC, who by all appearances is the first person to get in touch with Shanahan since he was fired on Tuesday, reports that Shanahan says he won’t coach at all in 2009 unless he finds the “perfect situation.” “What I’m going to do is take a couple of weeks to sit back and relax a little, then consider what it is I’m going to do,’' Shanahan told King. “Unless there’s a perfect situation out there, I’d rather sit out the year and return next year.’' Hey, at $7 million for doing nothing, we’d all prefer to sit out the year. Unfortunately, however, Shanahan could be jeopardizing that $7 million if he chooses not to coach. As a league source has pointed out to us, NFL coaching contracts typically contain a provision that, as to a coach who has been fired before the deal expires, not only gives the team an offset for any money made coaching with a new franchise, but also requires the fired coach to try to find a new job. Though we haven’t seen Shanahan’s contract, here’s an excerpt from another NFL head coach’s deal: “If Head Coach’s employment is terminated under this paragraph, he will use his very best effort to seek other employment and any income will be offset against what the Club might otherwise owe to Head Coach.” (Emphasis added.) In other words, if Shanahan doesn’t jump immediately into the pool of available jobs and search for other employment, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen could refuse to pay him. And Shanahan’s ultimate grievance would be decided not by a court of law, but by the league office. We know, we know. Bowlen isn’t Al Davis, who famously stiffed Shanahan nearly 20 years ago. (We actually expect to have some new info on that very old story this week.) Bowlen and Shanahan are good friends. Surely, Bowlen wouldn’t stiff Shanahan. It might not be that simple. At a time when Bowlen is one of the owners leading the charge against the current economic arrangement between the NFL and the players union, how can the owners have any credibility about their financial predicament if Bowlen is willing to give away $7 million in free money to a guy who very well might be breaching his contractual duty to mitigate his damages? So, in other words, if Bowlen gives Shanahan a pass on this one, don’t expect the union to give Bowlen one.