Monday, April 16, 2012

NFL Off-Season Workout Programs Get Underway Today

NFL teams that did not change head coaches are eligible to begin Phase One of their off-season workout programs on Monday. Teams who changed head coaches were eligible to begin their workout programs on April 2.

Phase One of the off-season workout program limits workouts to strength and conditioning and rehabilitation only for the first two weeks. Only full and part-time strength and conditioning coaches with no additional duties are allowed on the field. Quarterbacks may elect to throw to uncovered receivers at this time.

Workouts are voluntary, with players receiving $155 per day for participating in workouts or classroom instruction provided they participate in three of four scheduled workouts/classroom sessions that week. To ensure widespread attendance, many players have large workout bonuses written into their contracts, with the sum of those totaling bonuses exceeding $56 million for the 2012 season. These larger workout bonuses are also contingent on a player's participation level, which often require over 80 percent participation in the overall workout program in order to receive the bonus.

The New York Jets lead the way with players eligible to earn over $5 million in workout bonuses as 16 players have bonuses at or exceeding $100,000 written into their contracts. The Green Bay Packers have 17 players eligible for six-figure bonuses and over $4 million in workout bonuses as a group. Players for the Arizona Cardinals, Chicago Bears, and Kansas City Chiefs round out the Top 5 teams, with the San Francisco 49ers, New York Giants, New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals and New Orleans Saints right behind them, each having over $2.5 million in workout bonuses eligible to their players this off-season.

Some teams -- the Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos -- eschew large workout bonuses altogether. The Houston Texans' workout bonus list is limited to $50,000 for quarterback Matt Schaub, while James Laurinaitis' $95,000 workout bonus is the only one on the books for the St. Louis Rams.

Workout Bonuses Exceeding $500,000


PlayerPosTeamW/O Bonus
Darrelle RevisCBNY Jets$1,000,000
D'Brickashaw FergusonOTNY Jets$750,000
Brian OrakpoLBWashington$574,000
Stewart BradleyLBArizona$500,000
Kevin KolbQBArizona$500,000
Kerry RhodesSArizona$500,000
C.J. SpillerRBBuffalo$500,000
Brian UrlacherLBChicago$500,000
Jay CutlerQBChicago$500,000
Andre SmithOTCincinnati$500,000
DeMarcus WareLBDallas$500,000
Aaron RodgersQBGreen Bay$500,000
Kevin WilliamsDTMinnesota$500,000
Eli ManningQBNY Giants$500,000
Mark SanchezQBNY Jets$500,000
Justin SmithDESan Francisco$500,000
Patrick WillisLBSan Francisco$500,000
Alan BranchDTSeattle$500,000
Eric WrightCBTampa Bay$500,000
Kellen WinslowTETampa Bay$500,000
DeAngelo HallCBWashington$500,000

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