No signing bonus or guaranteed money for former Packers CB Sam Shields
GREEN BAY - There was always going to be a risk for any team that gave former Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields another chance after five documented concussions and more than a year away from the sport, and that uncertainty is reflected in his new contract with the Los Angeles Rams.
Shields, 30, signed a one-year deal worth up to $1,004,998 that included no signing bonus and no guaranteed money, according to a source with access to NFL Players Association salary data. His contract has a base salary of $915,000 — which is the veteran minimum for a player who has between seven and nine accrued seasons — and an unspecified roster bonus of $89,998.
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The Rams further protected themselves by including a split-salary provision. This means that Shields’ base salary of $915,000 applies as long as he is part of the active roster. Should Shields wind up on injured reserve, his weekly salary from that point forward is based on the split amount of $483,000.
Shields parted ways with longtime agent Drew Rosenhaus prior to signing with the Rams, and it appears he negotiated the deal himself. There is no agent listed on Shields’ contract entry in the NFLPA database, though he has since signed with Robert Brown and Kevin Conner, the duo that represents former Packers safety Morgan Burnett. Shields and Burnett have been training together in Atlanta for most of March.
Here are the details of Shields’ contract:
Length: One year.
Signing bonus: $0.
Guaranteed money: $0.
Base salary: $915,000 with $483,000 split.
Roster bonus: $89,998 (unspecified).