On Thursday afternoon, reports came out that the Seattle Seahawks had signed wide receiver Laviska Shenault to a contract. The contract is for one year and is worth up to $1,292,500. He also got a $167,500 signing bonus with a base salary of $1,125,000.
What do these numbers have in common with each other? It qualifies for the veteran salary benefit, leaving Shenault with a salary cap hit of $1,125,000 with the signing bonus being free. Here is how the veteran salary benefit works.
- The contract needs to be for one year
- Player needs to have four vested years in the NFL
- Base salary is set at the league minimum
- Additional compensation (signing bonuses, workout bonuses, etc) maxes out at $167,500
This is a good thing for both Shenault and the Seahawks. Shenault gets some extra money without the Seahawks having to give up any extra salary cap space. With the new kickoff rules, Shenault could be a valuable asset along with being a depth player at wide receiver.