Alshon Jeffery's Contract Literally Won't Allow the Eagles to Move on From Him Before 2021
Alshon Jeffery's woes with the Philadelphia Eagles this season have been well-documented, as the eighth-year wideout has dealt with numerous injuries, philosophical disagreements, and the effects of age in 2019.
Given Jeffery's heavy salary cap hit next season, many insiders have projected him to be a potential cut candidate this off-season. However, a closer look at Jeffery's contract reveals that releasing him could destroy the Eagles' cap situation.
The #Eagles will have trouble moving on from WR Alshon Jeffery after 2019, as he carries $26.1M of dead cap thanks to an already GTD $9.9M salary. With no Post-6/1 flexibility available next year, his release would leave all $26M on their 2020 cap table (-$10M saved).
— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 12, 2019
With reports out of Philadelphia suggesting that Jeffery's 2020 campaign may be in jeopardy due to the Lisfranc injury he suffered Monday night against the Giants, the best move for the team would be to clear his contract off of their books and rebuild their receiving corps. However, thanks to this poison pill clause in his contract, it appears as though Jeffery will still be a member of the team next season (unless some team wants to take on his burdensome cap-hit).
From NFL Now: The #Eagles lost WR Alshon Jeffery for the season, and he has a long road ahead. pic.twitter.com/rpgJMnWKYJ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 12, 2019
Barring some miraculous recovery, the Eagles are going to be on the hook for a virtually unusable wide receiver next season. It's very possible that Jeffery's immovable deal will force the team to trade another well-paid veteran (All-Pro TE Zach Ertz has a 12 million-dollar cap-hit next season, while former second-round pick Dallas Goedert is waiting in the wings, just some food for thought!) in order to make room for new talent on the roster.