If Dion Jordan ever plays again it will be for the Dolphins.
Dion Jordan’s contract has had a clause activated that makes it easier to keep him.
Dion Jordan has had many questions surrounding him throughout his career. The question this year is, will he play for the Miami Dolphins. A contract clause all but ensures Dion Jordan will be Dolphin.
As per the Kevin Nogle article at the Phinsider: “Jordan’s suspension plays games with his contract, entering a legal term where the contract is said to have “tolled,” which is essentially making it so the 2015 season did not happen, and keeping him in the third year of the contract. That would mean that Jordan’s salary cap hit from 2015 – which was not applied due to his being suspended for the year – would become his salary cap hit in 2016 ($5.36 million), with his $3.22 million hit moving to 2017. (To further explain, the salary cap pro-rate still counted in 2015, which accounted for a $3.07 million cap number for the Dolphins, but no salary counts, and in 2017, because the signing bonus was already accounted for over the original four-years of the contract, there would be no signing bonus pro-rated amount in the final season of his contract, which is why his cap number goes down in 2017, while his salary and roster bonus increase.) Miami could elect to cut or trade Jordan once he is reinstated, or they could keep him, looking to find a role for a player who could still have potential, or, cynically, they could hold on to him, see if he fails another drug test, and then gain back the entire salary cap hit again.”
The clause extend Jordan’s contract to 2017 and give Miami a longer look at him.
In short, they must pay him this year regardless, and if he gets it together, next season he would “only” make $3mill with a smidgen more. But, beyond the money, it also extends his contract one more year to “ensure” that if he gets his act together, the Dolphins will play one “cheap” yearfor them while they figure out if they want him long term.
Jordan should have been a free agent in 2017 and it may have been too risky for even the best pay per head bookie to bet Miami should waste the spot for a single year, where if he did well he’d ask for a sizable, long term contract. Miami then would be in a bind of uncertainty. But now, with Alsono, his friend, on the team, and the extra year tacked on as a buffer that offers a longer look at the “new” Jordan, it’s all on Jordan because the Dolphins will not cut him – if he is football ready! If Jordan wants to play football, it will be for the Miami Dolphins. Question is now, does he want to play football? It’s funny how his suspension ends on day one of the 2016 Draft…maybe, the 2016 Dolphins will pick up their second 1st round pick! Go Fins!!!