The initial reports for wide receiver Josh Reynolds’ new contract with the Detroit Lions were technically correct. It’s a two-year deal worth a potential $12 million. But the breakdown of the actual contract figures reveals a much different structure than a straight $6 million-per-year deal.
Reynolds signed prior to free agency for a much more team-friendly deal. His salary for the 2022 season is just $1.2 million, which is fully guaranteed. There is a $1.5 million signing bonus that gets spread across the two seasons of the deal, counting $750,000 each year against the cap. A workout bonus for $50,000 brings Reynolds’ total cap figure in 2022 to just $2 million.
There are plenty of incentives for Reynolds throughout the deal. He gets a roster bonus for each game in 2023, up to $400,000. There is also a $1 million roster bonus paid on the third day of the 2023 league year, per Over The Cap.
That gives the Lions an “out” if they want it after this season, and would result in just $750,00 in dead cap room in 2023–the amortized signing bonus figure.
It’s a creative way to get to the $12 million figure without actually committing $12 million in cap room off the bat. This is a great example of how the structure of contracts matters more than the initial figures that will be thrown out and reported in the coming days of NFL free agency.