When the Bengals’ Andre Smith finally signed a contract on Sunday, it was released that a pretty interesting clause was stamped on it. Apparently, Smith’s contract says that his salary will be slashed for each game in which he is 350 pounds or higher and not on the active roster.
Upon learning of this, I decided to do some research regarding other players in the NFL that also have these clauses in place on their contracts. Kris Jenkins of the Jets has a weight clause implemented in his contract after he ballooned to 394 pounds from his previous 360. This was at the request of then coach Eric Mangini.
It was also stated that Kevin and Pat Williams also had weight clauses in their contracts which could have led to them violating NFL substance abuse policy by using water pills.
It is still unclear if weight clauses actually help the players. The clauses help players by keeping the extra weight off, but does it help when they limit their food intake and/or take banned substances? I don’t think so.
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I recall a similar situation with William “The Refridgerator” Perry. His weight ballooned during the off season and received an incredible amount of backlash from the coaching staff as well as the fans.
If I were the GM of a professional team and shelled out a decent amount of coin for a 1st round draft pick, he had better be in tip top shape. The weight clause is warranted on a case by case scenario.
That’s a terrible picture. I think they’re just using it to shame Smith into doing something about his weight.
Haha I love that picture. It’s terrible, but I laugh every time.