NFLPA Crows About Burress-Johnson Outcome

Presumably in response to the NFL’s statement complaining about Special Master Stephen Burbank’s decision that signing bonus money can’t be forfeited when a player misses games due to a suspension, the NFLPA has issued a statement praising it. Said new NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith: “This decision is a real win for the players. It means that clubs can’t impose additional discipline by claiming back signing or roster bonus monies after a suspension, either by a club or the league. The CBA clause they argued from in this case was not intended to apply to suspensions, but instead to cases where a player is holding out from training camp or otherwise refusing to perform. We are very pleased that Mr. Burbank agreed with our position.” The precedent surely will be short-lived; with the Collective Bargaining Agreement soon to be renegotiated, the league undoubtedly will push for the ability to recover these amounts. And, frankly, we agree with the league’s assessment in one very important respect -- it’s a rule that helps only a small percentage of players, who happen to not be all that sympathetic due to their failure to follow the rules of their teams, the league, or society.