The Raiders and linebacker Aldon Smith agreed to a two-year deal on Monday, ending uncertainty about where he’d play next.
It did nothing to end the uncertainty about when he’ll play next, though. Smith is suspended through the middle of November and there are no guarantees that he’ll be reinstated at that time. As you’d expect under those circumstances, the compensation in the deal is tied to Smith actually being available to earn it.
Field Yates of ESPN reports that Smith’s deal calls for him to make $250,000 for each regular season game he’s on the 53-man roster. In 2016, Smith is going to be limited to six or seven games, depending on when Oakland’s bye falls, if he’s reinstated and deemed ready to play immediately.
Mike Garafolo of FOX Sports reports that the deal has a base value of $11 million over the two years with incentives that could push it closer to $20 million, although the full details of the contract aren’t available yet and the suspension will eat up much of the money from the first season.