Packers running back Ryan Grant agreed to a $1 million pay cut this month, but he says he’s OK with how things worked out, especially after the team agreed to guarantee his $2.5 million base salary.
“Nobody wants to lose any money, but at the same time you have to look at the situation,” Grant said Sunday. “I’m not the first person to [take a pay cut], I won’t be the last person to do it. We’ll see how it pans out. The fact that it’s guaranteed makes you feel good they’re willing to do that as an organization.”
Grant will turn 29 this season and is coming off a broken ankle that limited him to one game last year, and he realizes that he’s already getting old by running back standards.
“Our position is a little different than other positions,” Grant said. “You’re seeing that with some of the backs around the league. The age thing, they have a tag on it, so when you look at backs at 25, 26, that’s usually the age guys want that new deal. I was fortunate enough; I think I got mine when I was 25. You see that around the league, but it’s a weird thing with us, the likelihood of us getting injured is pretty high.”
Ultimately, Grant said, getting a pay cut or getting cut is just part of playing in the NFL.
“At some point in time, it doesn’t matter who you are, they’re going to ask you to leave,” Grant said.
