Ryan Clady Plans to Sit Out Start Denver Broncos Offseason Programs
By Josh Hill
Ryan Clady was franchised tagged by the Denver Broncos, but he’s not happy with it. Offensive tackle Ryan Clady received the Denver Broncos nonexclusive franchise tag back in March but he’s going to sit out the start of the Broncos offseason programs in an effort to get a long-term deal he approves of rather than a one year deal that puts him at risk to miss out on money next offseason.
Per The Denver Post:
"Until further notice, there will be a noticeable absence from the Broncos’ offseason program. According to two NFL sources, Clady, the starting left offensive tackle for all 83 games (including playoffs) the Broncos have played since selecting him with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2008 draft, will attempt to gain leverage with his stalled contract negotiation by avoiding the team’s headquarters."
Clady has yet to sign the $9.828 million franchise tender from the Broncos and he has no plans to do it in the near future. It seems absurd that a football player would reject a contract that pays him close to $10 million in a season, but that’s exactly Clady’s issue — the contract pays him for a season not per season. The former means he’s at risk to injure himself and miss out on money in his next contract while the latter indicates he has a long term deal and an annual salary.
It’s clear Clady wants the latter in the situation, but as The Denver Post points out, Clady is pushing his luck by holding out of voluntary workouts. Clady is coming off of shoulder surgery and is hot off of rejected a five year, $50 million contract offer from the Broncos (which equates to $10 million per season). So not only can you begin to see why Clady isn’t happy with $9.828 million, he’s entering a dangerous standoff with the Broncos.
Just ask Elvis Dumervil how well that worked for him.