Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner officially signed his contract on Monday. The details of the deal officially have arrived at PFT headquarters.
Reported as a five-year, $50 million deal, the contract pays out $6.5 million in 2022, with another $3.5 million guaranteed in 2023.
Here are the full details:
1. Signing bonus: $5 million.
2. 2022 base salary: $1.5 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2023 90-man roster bonus: $3.5 million, fully guaranteed as of April 8, 2022.
4. 2023 base salary: $7.5 million.
5. 2024 90-man roster bonus: $2.5 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of the fifth day of the 2023 league year.
6. 2024 base salary: $8.5 million.
7. 2025 90-man roster bonus: $2.5 million.
8. 2025 base salary: $8 million.
9. 2025 90-man roster bonus: $2.5 million.
10. 2026 base salary: $8.5 million.
The deal also includes three incentive packages, each with creative names. The Agent Wagz Wally’s Wage Incentive pays out up to $2 million per year based on playing time and team achievements. To get the full amount, Wagner needs to participate in 90 percent or more of the defensive snaps, the Rams must make the playoffs, and the final defensive rankings in net points allowed, net yards allowed, and net passing yards allowed per passing play must be better than the fifth worst in the league.
The Wage Wagz’s Colony Coin Incentive pays out $1 million per year if he’s a first-time All Pro. Alternatively, if he makes it to the Pro Bowl (original ballot) and the team improves its defensive ranking in total net yards allowed, or net yards allowed per passing play, Wagner gets $500,000.
Finally, the Agent Wagz Archibald Ranch Au Revoir Void gives the player the right to pull the plug on the final three years of the deal if in 2022 and 2023 he plays in 90 percent of more of the defensive plays and the team makes it to the postseason each year. Alternatively, he can void the final three years of the contract if he makes it to the Pro Bowl (in the original ballot) in 2022 and 2023.
The void likely won’t be necessary. As a practical matter, the Rams have signed Wagner to a year-to-year deal that can be worth as little as $10 million for one year; although the deal contains offset language as to certain specific guarantees in the deal, the $3.5 million roster bonus for 2023 does not include offset language.
