Jon Vilma gives up $2.8 million in 2012

Under his old contract, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was due to earn a base salary of $5.4 million in 2012.  Per a source with knowledge of Vilma’s new contract, his compensation has dropped to $2.6 million.

That’s a difference (abacus engaged) of $2.8 million.

The good news, if there is any, for Vilma is that if he should get bad news from the league office in the form of a suspension, only $1.6 million will be exposed to the forfeiture of game checks.  He received a signing bonus of $1 million and the rest as base salary.

If suspended, he’ll lose more than $94,000 per game.  Under his old contract, he would have lost $317,000 per game.

Then again, he’s also losing nearly $3 million off the top.

The new contract undoubtedly has no connection to his role, whatever his role may have been, in the bounty scandal.  Instead, it’s a reflection of his current age, health, abilities, and the market for veteran linebackers.


(profootballtalk.com)