Chase Young's new contract carries a major asterisk
When pass rusher Chase Young agreed to terms with the Saints, the simultaneous tweets announcing the development also claimed that he's getting $13 million fully guaranteed.
And while that's technically true, there's a major asterisk that was previously omitted. Of that amount, $7.99 million is tied to per-game roster bonuses.
Via Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Young will receive a signing bonus of $1.86 million, a base salary of $2.7 million, a guaranteed workout bonus of $450,000, and per-game roster bonuses of $470,000 per game.
While the per-game roster bonuses are guaranteed, he still must qualify for them. If he'd be cut, he'd get the payments. If he's not cut, he has to be on the active, game-day roster to get each payment.
It's a way of protecting the Saints against Young not being available to play.
The device helps reconcile the contract with the news of Young's neck surgery. If he's ready and available to play, he gets the $470,000 for each game in which he suits up.
He'll definitely get $4.56 million. The rest, while guaranteed, must still be earned. We'll find out, one game at a time, whether he does.
Young was the NFL's defensive rookie of the year in 2020. A torn ACL during the 2021 season derailed his career. The 49ers traded a third-round pick for Young last season.
