Holmes’ return seems unlikely

[Mr. Laz]

nothing really new ... but didn't see it posted.


Holmes’ return seems unlikely

Under NFL rules, running back must be back at practice this week to play this year.

The Kansas City Star

Priest Holmes has to join the Chiefs at practice this week if he intends to play this season. If that’s going to happen, it’s news to coach Herm Edwards.

Edwards said Monday that he had received no indication that Holmes’ return was imminent.

Holmes, who is on the physically-unable-to-perform list because of a neck ailment, will by NFL rule have his season officially end if he’s not on the practice field this week.

Although the Chiefs haven’t made an official announcement to this effect, it’s a poorly kept secret at Arrowhead Stadium that Holmes wouldn’t play for them this season. He agreed over the winter to accept a large cut in salary and hasn’t attended any of the team meetings or practice sessions since training camp started in July.

Holmes hasn’t played in more than a year. The Chiefs have moved on without him. Larry Johnson is firmly entrenched as the starting running back, and the Chiefs traded for Michael Bennett to be his backup.

[jspchief]

This is going to get ugly

/htismaqe

[JBucc]

Adios Priest.

[Iowanian]

"What do you need to play Priest"
"I just need to get paid"

[jspchief]

He agreed over the winter to accept a large cut in salary

[Mr. Laz]

unless that paycut gives him a salary of ZERO ... it's still messed up.

[jspchief]

unless that paycut gives him a salary of ZERO ... it's still messed up.Why?

I'm guessing there's a reason the Chiefs FO didn't choose to give him an injury settlement. Or are you suggesting that he pulled one over on them?

[teedubya]

Sue Shawne Sterriodman for punitive damages! heh.

[morphius]

unless that paycut gives him a salary of ZERO ... it's still messed up.
I have no problem with a player that was injured during a game receiving the rest of his contract.

[Scorp]

"What do you need to play Priest"



Priest: Well Carl, It all boils down to nachos. You've got them, I want them. I want nachos at practice, nachos at home, hell when I take a holy sh!t, my nachos had better be there!

[Mr. Laz]

I have no problem with a player that was injured during a game receiving the rest of his contract.
he will get to keep his signing bonus


you think they should go ahead and collect their base salary for the rest of the contract?

[mac58]

It was a good run while he was here. . .def alot of great memories. . .

[Brock]

he will get to keep his signing bonus


you think they should go ahead and collect their base salary for the rest of the contract?

Probably not, but it really isn't worth getting into an ugly fight with one of your team's legends.

[Mr. Laz]

Why?

I'm guessing there's a reason the Chiefs FO didn't choose to give him an injury settlement. Or are you suggesting that he pulled one over on them?
i think that Priest Holmes has decided that he doesn't want to play anymore.

btw - i don't blame him


i think Priest Holmes is still looking for a doctor that will tell him he CAN'T play so that he gets more money.


imo Holmes could be medically cleared to play right now if he wanted it.


this is all about money .... whether he can get an injury settlement that allows him to keep/get more money and the Chiefs Front office saying that medically he is ok to play and this is a voluntary retirement.

[Ebolapox]

wow... there's a shocker from the 'duh' files

[morphius]

he will get to keep his signing bonus


you think they should go ahead and collect their base salary for the rest of the contract?
If the team doesn't cut him, sure.

I see it a bit like workman's comp.

[jspchief]

he will get to keep his signing bonus


you think they should go ahead and collect their base salary for the rest of the contract?From what I've seen, injury settlements are the common practice.

The Chiefs front office isn't stupid. It's not like he pulled the wool over their eyes. My guess is this route allowed them to go one more year ammortizing his signing bonus for salary cap reasons. I'm sure both sides got a fair shake.

[jspchief]

i think that Priest Holmes has decided that he doesn't want to play anymore.

btw - i don't blame him


i think Priest Holmes is still looking for a doctor that will tell him he CAN'T play so that he gets more money.


imo Holmes could be medically cleared to play right now if he wanted it.


this is all about money .... whether he can get an injury settlement that allows him to keep/get more money and the Chiefs Front office saying that medically he is ok to play and this is a voluntary retirement.That contradicts his choice to take a pay cut this off-season.

Even if he believed he could find a doctor to falsify his status to gain him an injury settlement, why would he risk taking a pay cut if it didn't pan out.

Besides, from what I've seen, injury settlements aren't exactly the golden goose.

My guess is the Chiefs offered him this route so they could postpone the cap hit of his siging bonus. They got what they wanted, and maybe he got a little more than a settlement would have paid so he got what he wanted.

[BigRedChief]

he will get to keep his signing bonus


you think they should go ahead and collect their base salary for the rest of the contract?
It's been proven in NFL rules and courts of law that if the NFL team wants to they can go after the signing bonus and get the pro rated bonus back. See Barry Sanders and Ricky Williams.

You don't get to keep your signing bonus if you get hurt. It's been a gentlmens agreement between players and the GM's though. You want to retire give back the money. You get hurt wellll keep the money.

This situation depends on whether the Chiefs think he just doesn't want to play anymore or is it a real medical issue. It will be King Carl's call on whether this gets ugly or not.

[StcChief]

Priest was great for the Chiefs and they did take care of him.....

Seeing how King Carl plays it will be tell tale sign of the organization.

[Mr. Laz]

That contradicts his choice to take a pay cut this off-season.

Even if he believed he could find a doctor to falsify his status to gain him an injury settlement, why would he risk taking a pay cut if it didn't pan out.

Besides, from what I've seen, injury settlements aren't exactly the golden goose.

My guess is the Chiefs offered him this route so they could postpone the cap hit of his siging bonus. They got what they wanted, and maybe he got a little more than a settlement would have paid so he got what he wanted.
so you think that all this "waiting for Priest" stuff the Chiefs are saying is just crap ...... that they already know that Priest is gone, they are just choosing to not say so for whatever reason?


and if so, how do you think Holmes feels that they Chiefs are basically making him look like "the guy" dragging his feet and messing around?

[Mr. Laz]

It's been proven in NFL rules and courts of law that if the NFL team wants to they can go after the signing bonus and get the pro rated bonus back. See Barry Sanders and Ricky Williams.

You don't get to keep your signing bonus if you get hurt. It's been a gentlmens agreement between players and the GM's though. You want to retire give back the money. You get hurt wellll keep the money.

This situation depends on whether the Chiefs think he just doesn't want to play anymore or is it a real medical issue. It will be King Carl's call on whether this gets ugly or not.

which is way i think that Priest is looking for a medical reason for him to not be able to play again ...... so he can keep the signing bonus/get a injury settlement ... then retire.

the problem is i don't think he's having any luck finding one.


thus it's this limbo situation

[BIG_DADDY]

I don't expect Holmes back in the NFL ever. He did an awesome job while he was here though. LJ is the best back in the league now we just need to fing a way to keep him on board.

[jspchief]

so you think that all this "waiting for Priest" stuff the Chiefs are saying is just crap ...... that they already know that Priest is gone, they are just choosing to not say so for whatever reason?


and if so, how do you think Holmes feels that they Chiefs are basically making him look like "the guy" dragging his feet and messing around?Purely speculation but ...I think the Chiefs knew all along he wasn't coming back. They also knew that retirement would accelerate the remaining portion of his ammortized signing bonus, and at the time they worked out a new deal, they were in cap trouble and didn't know how the CBA would play out.

So they went to Holmes and said "in place of a typical injury settlement, we're going to work the system to provide us some cap relief, but you'll still be taken care of".

It certainly explains why the FO seems so indifferent about his return. The fact that he doesn't even show up for the season, and the team has nothing to say about it leads me to believe that they had an understanding. If you look at the comments from the FO, they've all been relatively non-critical of Holmes' criticism-worthy absence.

Just my guess. The claims that one side or the other is clamoring to get over just doesn't fit. Both sides are smart enough to not let that happen, yet both sides were able to come to an agreed renegotiation in March.

[dirk digler]

INJURY PROTECTION from the NFLPA site

Section 1. Qualification: A player qualifying under the following criteria will receive an injury protection benefit in accordance with Section 2 below:

(a) The player must have been physically unable, because of a severe football injury in an NFL game or practice, to participate in all or part of his Club’s last game of the season of injury, as certified by the Club physician following a physical examination after the last game; or the player must have undergone Club‑authorized surgery in the off-season following the season of injury; and

(b) The player must have undergone whatever reasonable and customary rehabilitation treatment his Club required of him during the off‑season following the season of injury; and

(c) The player must have failed the pre‑season physical examination given by the Club physician for the season following the season of injury because of such injury and as a result his Club must have terminated his contract for the season following the season of injury. This pre‑season physical may be given by the Club physician prior to the beginning of pre‑season camp, so long as such fact is clearly communicated to the player at the time of the physical exam. The past understanding of the parties concerning a Club releasing a player who otherwise qualifies under (a) and (b) above prior to the pre‑season physical examination will apply during the term of this Agreement (see Appendix B).

Section 2. Benefit: Effective after the execution of this Agreement, a player qualifying under Section 1 above will receive an amount equal to 50% of his contract salary for the season following the season of injury, up to a maximum payment of $150,000 for players released pursuant to Section 1(c) above in League Year 1993, unless he has individually negotiated more injury protection or a larger guaranteed salary into that contract. This amount shall be increased to $175,000 in the 1994-96 League Years, to $200,000 for the 1997-99 League Years, to $225,000 for the 2000-02 LeagueYears, and to $250,000 for the 2003-04 League Years. A player will receive no amount of any contract covering any season subsequent to the season following the season of injury, except if he has individually negotiated injury protection into that contract. The benefit will be paid to the player in equal weekly installments commencing no later than the date of the first regular season game, which benefit payments will cease if the player signs a contract for that season with another Club. A player will not be entitled to such benefit more than once during his playing career in the NFL, and such benefit shall be reduced by any salary guaranteed to the player for the season following the season of injury.

[jspchief]

Section 2. Benefit: Effective after the execution of this Agreement, a player qualifying under Section 1 above will receive an amount equal to 50% of his contract salary for the season following the season of injury, up to a maximum payment of $150,000 for players released pursuant to Section 1(c) above in League Year 1993, unless he has individually negotiated more injury protection or a larger guaranteed salary into that contract. This amount shall be increased to $175,000 in the 1994-96 League Years, to $200,000 for the 1997-99 League Years, to $225,000 for the 2000-02 LeagueYears, and to $250,000 for the 2003-04 League Years. A player will receive no amount of any contract covering any season subsequent to the season following the season of injury, except if he has individually negotiated injury protection into that contract. The benefit will be paid to the player in equal weekly installments commencing no later than the date of the first regular season game, which benefit payments will cease if the player signs a contract for that season with another Club. A player will not be entitled to such benefit more than once during his playing career in the NFL, and such benefit shall be reduced by any salary guaranteed to the player for the season following the season of injury.That pretty much dispells the notion that it's a money grab for Priest.

By taking a pay cut in 2006, he agrees to a smaller amount of money in an injury settlement. Regardless of what he thought he could pull off, there's no viable explanantion for him risking that by renegotiating to a smaller '06 salary.