NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 13
Salary Cap Accounting Rules

Section 6(b)(ii)(4)
Valuation of Player Contracts

Notwithstanding any provision in a Player Contract to the contrary or when such payments are actually made, the following rules shall apply in determining the amount of a player’s Salary that is to be included in Team Salary in a particular League Year for purposes of the Salary Cap:

(b)(ii)(4)

Any contract year that the player has the right to terminate based upon a contingency shall count as a contract year for purposes of proration until the contingency is fulfilled, at which time any amounts attributed to such year shall be accelerated and included immediately in Team Salary (notwithstanding the foregoing, if the player has one or more rights to terminate based upon one or more not “likely to be earned” incentives and the player also being on the roster at a subsequent time, no acceleration shall occur until both the incentive(s) and the roster precondition(s) have been satisfied). To the extent that such acceleration would put the Team over the Salary Cap in a League Year prior to the Final League Year, the difference shall be charged to its Team Salary for the following year; to the extent that such acceleration would put the Team over the Salary Cap in the Final League Year, the Team will have seven days to conform with the Salary Cap, but may not sign any players until there is Room to do so under the Salary Cap.