Chargers WR Jackson could face decision to sit out season has 0 comments

Jul 14th 2010, 08:27 | FFN-Score: 12 points

Many have assumed that San Diego Chargers unsigned wide receiver Vincent Jackson would wait until Week 10 until signing his contract tender, in order to play the minimum games required to secure an accrued season, and thus move closer to his departure from the team via unrestricted free agency.

However, that may not be the case. Should the Chargers opt to follow all avenues allowed to them under the CBA, Jackson might have to make a decision on whether to sit out the entire season by Week 7.

First, a note on his three-game suspension -- confirmed Tuesday by the Chargers. It will be considered served after Week 3, regardless of whether Jackson has signed his tender. As an unsigned free agent, the suspension does not toll, or roll over (if Jackson were a signed player holding out, then the suspension would toll).

So, his status as a suspended player will not impact any decision about if or when to sign a tender with the Chargers. However, there are other factors in play. According to the league office, "the CBA may impose additional restrictions depending on the date that the player ultimately signs and reports to his club."

In Jackson's case, those "additional restrictions" could loom large, as the Chargers could still place him on a "roster exempt" list for three games after he signs under certain circumstances, keeping him without pay and without earning any service time toward an accrued season in that span. A player must be on a team's active, inactive, IR or PUP list for at least six regular-season games to earn an accrued season toward free agency, which is why many surmised Jackson would sign his $583,000 tender in Week 10.

According to the Roster Exemption rules in the CBA, if Jackson does not report to the Chargers by at least the day before their fourth preseason game, then, whenever he does sign, he could still be placed on the roster exempt list for an additional three games -- without pay. The Chargers, who have lowered his tender already and are locked in a bitter feud with the Pro Bowl receiver, would have to notify Jackson and the NFL Players Union of their intent to place him on roster exempt at least five days prior to the team's second preseason game.

So, if Jackson waited until the 10th week to sign, and then was placed on roster exempt, he would not have the required six regular-season games to earn an accrued season. He would have to sign be Week 7 to be certain in that case.

Jackson has five accrued season to this point and, if this was not an uncapped year, he would already be an unrestricted free agent. At this point no one knows how many accrued seasons it will require to earn unrestricted free agency under the next CBA, or even when that CBA would be finalized.

If Jackson plays the minimum six games, he would earn $205,675 -- a small figure in a span of time in which one could incur a serious injury impacting his future earning power. However, if he sits out a season and unrestricted free agency comes at any point more than five season, then the Chargers could potentially still hold his rights.

The Chargers play their second preseason game on Aug. 21, so by August 16 at the latest Jackson would know if his team intends to place him on roster exempt when he does sign. Regardless, this situation is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.