Los Angeles Rams are apparently not paying players what they owe
Todd Gurley and Clay Matthews have come out to allege the Los Angeles Rams have not paid out money owed to them.
The Los Angeles Rams don’t have a lot of room under the salary cap, so it was no surprise running back Todd Gurley was cut after trade speculation led to nothing. Linebacker Clay Matthews was also cut near the start of the league year last month.
By designating Gurley as a post-June 1 cut, the Rams were able to spread out an $11.75 million cap charge over two years. They owed him a $7.55 million roster bonus after their move to cut him on March 19, but offset language after he signed with the Atlanta Falcons removed $2.5 million of that obligation.
Matthews was cut on the same day as Gurley, and he has yet to sign elsewhere.
On Wednesday night, for some reason, Gurley decided to tweet to the Rams for the world to see regarding the money they owe him.
@RamsNFL past due. Send me money ASAP
— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) April 8, 2020
Matthews responded with the same claim.
https://twitter.com/ClayMatthews52/status/1248042262547685376?s=20
According to Pro Football Talk, Matthews believes the Rams owe him a fully guaranteed $2 million roster bonus that was due on the third day of the league year and per his contract he was due that money by March 30. When his being cut became official with the league office aside, March 19 was the second day of the 2020 league year.
Matthews also had $2 million in offset language in his contract. So since he hasn’t signed with a new team, what the Rams would owe him is not reduced or completely negated yet.
According to ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, citing a source, the Rams believe they’re in full compliance with the language in the players’ contracts. The team has declined to formally comment.
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Even with a sure decline in ticket revenue brought on by the current world situation, the delay in paying Gurley and Matthews is a bad look for the Rams. Stan Kroenke is among the richest owners in sports, so questions of liquidity as it relates to his football team’s business is an issue that seems possible to fix.