A better explanation for why Mychal Kendricks hasn’t been released
It’s accurate to say salary cap issues are the main topic of conversation when discussing Mychal Kendricks, but that doesn’t quite describe things well enough.
Why is linebacker Mychal Kendricks still a member of the Philadelphia Eagles? It’s a fair question and one that’s been asked by many of us for quite some time now. Sure, he’s had his share of supporters, and he should. He’s been a tremendous player for his team, organization and city for quite some time. Many of us even wish he’d stay, but when all things are considered, he costs too much. You’d hate to say it’s about money, but it is.
Seeing the Eagles get two of the wide receivers they wanted in free agency and then seeing them continue to make important moves to bolster their roster is amazing when all we’ve been hearing about is how this team has no money to spend. The focus, then, shifted to some of the players on the roster and their contracts.
The events that led up to the Kendricks discussion:
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Some agreed to renegotiate (tight end Brent Celek). Others didn’t (left tackle Jason Peters). Some have already been shown the door (Connor Barwin). That brings us to running back Ryan Mathews and, of course, Kendricks. Mathews couldn’t be released because he was dealing with injuries, but Kendricks’ situation was something different entirely. To put it simply, when he’s released is just as important, if not more, than the fact that he probably will be.
June 1st, 2017:
The Eagles have made minimal effort to trade Kendricks. Why you ask? To make long stories short, it’s all about a clause in his contract that’s related to June 1st. Trading him to another team, at any point, would have resulted in a $5 million cap hit for the Eagles in 2017. That probably won’t happen and explains why they’ve haven’t tried to do so aggressively.
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That leaves the Eagles with two options. They have the option of cutting him after June 1st. Doing so would open up around $5 million in cap space, and Kendricks would represent around $1 million against the cap for 2017. If they don’t do that, he can remain in Philly. That would then mean Kendricks would represent a $6 million salary that the Eagles could easily use to go out and get other players or help sign the players they’ve already drafted.
It makes sense now doesn’t it? Expect Kendricks to be out the door sometime around June 1st (maybe). Who knows how these things turn out anymore.