Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
What if I told you Aaron Hernandez will make more money than you or I this year despite his being indicted on a first-degree murder charge this past week. The NFL Players Association is filing a grievance on behalf of Hernandez who was cut by the New England Patriots on June 26th, the same day he was arrested.
Apparently, the Patriots had to pay Hernandez an $82,000 workout bonus on August 1st for his participation in a workout program in the spring. That day came and went and Hernandez never got his check. The horror! The NFLPA says it is filing the grievance on behalf of all players in the NFL and not just Hernandez.
Of course, $82,000 might seem like a lot of money to you and me but it is just a drop in the bucket of what the Patriots will owe Hernandez. Yes, that’s right, the Patriots will still have to pay Aaron Hernandez, a “man” indicted in the murder of his friend Odin Lloyd and being investigated for two other homicides. You see, Hernandez is owed $3.25 million this coming March, the last payment of his $12.5 million in guaranteed money. So, if you are keeping score at home, Hernandez is due to make more money sitting behind bars than most people will see in their lifetimes.
This is what is wrong with these contracts. How can the NFLPA justify filing a grievance on behalf of a man who has been indicted for murder? This is seriously the flag they choose to wave to prevent it from happening to other players? Perhaps the NFLPA should have waited until this sort of thing happened to a player who wasn’t indicted for first-degree murder and instead stood up for the rights of a player more deserving of the time and energy necessary.
The NFL and NFLPA should come together with the Patriots and come to the conclusion that Hernandez is not allowed to receive payment from an NFL team while in prison. Or, better yet, if a player is cut because of being linked to a murder and they are indicted on those charges they should not be allowed to collect a paycheck from the NFL ever again. Perhaps the inclusion of a morals clause is needed in the next collective bargaining agreement.
This is a poor decision by the NFLPA. They are fighting the wrong fight on behalf of the wrong man under the guise of doing it for others. It makes no sense. What the Patriots did with Hernandez is not going to suddenly set a precedent where teams are suddenly not going to pay players the money that is owed to them. Hernandez is no longer a player in the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell should ban Hernandez from the NFL for life and end the madness.
Chris is a Senior Writer as well as the Hiring and Recruiting Manager for Rant sports. Follow Chris on Twitter and “Like” his page on Facebook.
