Eagles DT Tim Jernigan took HOW big a pay cut?

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The numbers are in, and Tim Jernigan’s pay cut was ... massive.

Jernigan re-signed with the Eagles on Friday about six weeks after the Eagles declined the option on his contract, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Jernigan’s previous contract? Four years, $48 million.

The new contract? One year, $1.25 million with bonuses that can bring the deal up to $2 million.

Only $1 million of the deal is guaranteed — $750,000 of the base salary and the $250,000 signing bonus.

Jernigan is only 26 and when he’s been healthy has shown flashes of being a dominating defensive tackle.

But his month and a half on the open market apparently did not result in any substantive offers on a long-term deal, because he’s making only slightly more than NFL minimum wage for players with five years of experience.

With this deal, the Eagles get a potential impact defensive lineman at a bargain-basement price for a year, and he gets to prove himself this year and reach free agency as a 27-year-old this offseason. 

In addition to the $1 million base salary, Jernigan got a $250,000 signing bonus, and he’ll get $31,250 for each game that he’s active for a max of $500,000 in weekly roster bonuses. Jernigan also has a $250,000 workout bonus written into the deal.

Jernigan carries a $1.625 million cap number for 2019 (in addition to his existing dead money), which includes the $1 million base, $125,000 of the weekly roster bonuses (based on his 2018 playing time), the $250,000 signing bonus and the $250,000 roster bonus.

This is a far cry from what Jernigan was scheduled to earn.

Jernigan was initially due to make $11 million in 2019 and $12 million in both 2020 and 2021, with cap figures of $13 million in 2019 and $14 million in 2020 and 2021.

When he was released, the Eagles cleared $13 million in cap space but took on $6 million in dead money — the three remaining $2 million pro-rated years — for a net savings of $7 million under the cap.

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