Contracts

[Billy]

Contracts
Contracts are always listed in terms of flat salary and the last season of such contract.� For example, $10m (2020) is a contract the pays $10m each season through the 2020 season.
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Except for any contract inherited in 2018, all contracts must be no longer than five years.� Also, for a given salary, all contacts have term limits (max years contract can be per the salary) as provided below.
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Salary range, Maximum Years
$1m or less = 2 years
$1.1m - $4.9m = 3 years
$5.0m - $9.9mm = 4 years
$10m or higher = 5 years (max years is 5)
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Releasing Players Under Contract
All contracts are non-binding, you may release a player at any time.� However, bonuses are given to each contract for the duration of the contract that will count against your salary cap.� They are as follows:
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Player's yearly salary/amount of bonus each year:
$1.0m or less = no bonus
$1.1m - $3.0m = $500k
$3.1m - $5.0m = $1.0m
$5.1m - $7.0m = $2.0m
$7.1m - $10.0m = $3.0m
$10.1m - $15.0m = $4.0m
$15.1m or higher = $5.0m
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IF a team releases a player, they cannot resign that player for a period of 30 days. IF they do, the player�s original contract will be restored.
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Contract Buyout
For a contract buyout, a GM must pay his bonus salary for the current season, plus all salary bonuses in each year after in the current season. This will allow a GM to not accrue any cap hits for any future years of a forfeited contract. No buyouts allowed once playoffs start.
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Example: If a team releases Adrian Peterson $18.0m (2014), he is due a signing bonus of $5.0m per year. Therefore, the team must pay his bonus this season ($5.0m) plus his 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014 bonuses, a total $20.0m. Therefore, a team may release Adrian Peterson, and not take a cap hit to his contract for any season after the current one if the team pays $20.0m for a contract buyout in 2010.