Penalty to be reduced if Chargers deal Jackson
The NFL and the NFL Players Association reached a settlement on the case of wide receiver Vincent Jackson(notes) which will allow Jackson to miss only one game instead of three because of a roster exemption.
“We got two-thirds of what we wanted and Vincent is very happy with that,” NFLPA attorney Richard Berthelsen said Thursday after he and league attorneys worked out the settlement. The sides did that rather than take the issue to arbitrator Rosemary Townley.
Jackson will have to miss the first four games of the season if he is traded by the San Diego Chargers. If Jackson is dealt by 4 p.m. ET, Sept. 22, he will be available to play for his new club beginning with the new team's fifth game. Jackson is already serving a three-game suspension for violation of the league’s substance-abuse policy. He was facing the possibility of missing three more games because the Chargers had placed him on the roster exemption list. Jackson will still have to sit three games if he reports to the Chargers.
Before the season, Jackson had reached an agreement with an undisclosed team for a one-year deal. Jackson is expected to make approximately $6 million.
Several media outlets have reported that the team is the Minnesota Vikings, who need a receiver after having lost Sidney Rice(notes) for at least seven more games because of hip surgery.
The Chargers have given three teams permission to talk with Jackson about a possible trade. The Seattle Seahawks and St. Louis Rams are among the three, but both have passed on the idea for now because they don’t want to both pay Jackson for a long-term deal and give up a draft pick.
What remains to be seen is whether San Diego is willing to deal Jackson. There is speculation that the Chargers will continue to play hardball with Jackson, who was offered a one-year deal as a restricted free agent. The Chargers initially offered $3.268 million for one year, then reduced the offer to $583,000 when Jackson didn’t sign.
The Chargers may wait it out to see if Jackson will report for the final six games of the season. If they do, Jackson reports and then leaves as a free agent in 2011, they would likely get a compensatory third-round pick in 2012.
