Detroit Lions Remain On The Hook For Costly Signing Bonus Despite Cutting Player Following Gambling Suspension

Despite cutting him after he was suspended indefinitely for gambling, the Detroit Lions will still pay out a bonus to safety C.J. Moore. The total value: $1.4 million.

Moore was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Friday — along with several other players — for violations to the league gambling policy. Moore was suspended indefinitely for betting on NFL games. He can appeal after a year for reinstatement.

The Lions re-signed Moore earlier this offseason and part of the deal included a $1.4 million signing bonus. The Lions had already paid out the first half of the bonus when Moore was released on Friday.

But here’s where it gets tricky. Based on the league rules, they’re probably going to have to pay the second $700,000, due later this year.

Language in the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement is working in Moore’s favor

Basically, under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, a player forfeits bonuses and salary for a select list of reasons. They are:

• If a player willfully fails to report, practice or play with the result that the player’s ability to fully participate and contribute to the team is substantially undermined (for example, without limitation, holding out or leaving the squad absent a showing of extreme personal hardship).
• If a player is unavailable to the team due to conduct by him that results in his incarceration.
• If a player is unavailable to the team due to a nonfootball injury that resulted from a material breach of Paragraph 3 of his NFL Player Contract.
• If a player voluntarily retires.

Because gambling isn’t part of that list, Moore is off the hook on having to return the first $700,000. There is no carve-out for a suspension to allow teams to claw back money. However, putting Moore on the reserve/suspended list would’ve given the Lions a better case to not pay.

By cutting him, there’s no grounds under the CBA for the Lions to withhold the $700,000 that Moore is due. Short of a specific contract clause allowing the Lions to get money back because of a suspension, the team will likely be out the $1.4 million.

The good news is the Lions will get some relief on the salary cap. Moore was guaranteed $1.6 million over the next two years. He was due $1.1 million in 2023 and $500,000 in 2024. That money is no longer on the Lions’ books.

And dealing with what is, frankly, pocket change for an NFL owner is probably of less import to the Lions than facing six games without Jameson Williams. He, too, was suspended on Friday.