Robert Griffin III is guaranteed $6.75 million and can make up to $11 million with incentives in 2016 as part of the two-year, $15 million deal he signed Thursday with the Cleveland Browns.
According to contract details obtained by USA TODAY Sports, Griffin received a $3.5 signing bonus and a fully guaranteed base salary of $3.25 million this season. He can make another $750,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $3.5 million in individual performance incentives for playtime, passing yards and passer rating.
Griffin’s deal maxes out at $22 million over two years. That’s at the low end for a starter or the high end for a backup -- similar in value and structure to Chase Daniel’s deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, who gave Daniel a three-year, $21 million contract that can be worth up to $36 million with incentives and escalators.
The Browns will have a decision to make next March, when Griffin is due a $750,000 roster bonus on the third day of the 2017 league year. That and the rest of the deal is non-guaranteed: a $6 million base salary, plus another $750,000 in per-game active bonuses and $3.5 million in incentives.
The deal isn’t prohibitive to the Browns drafting a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick. One advantage for RG3 as he competes for the starting job: Because the Browns have a new coaching staff, they can start their offseason program two weeks early on April 4, getting Griffin in the building a month before a rookie.
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