The New York Jets continue to show benevolence to their new players.
The NFL gave Santonio Holmesa four-game suspension without pay after he violated the league's substance-abuse policy, but the Jets reworked the wide receiver's contract to lessen his financial burden, a team source told NFL Network insider Michael Lombardi on Tuesday.
After the Jets acquired Holmes last week in a trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers, they lowered his $755,000 base salary, in the process lessening the amount of money the league will deduct from his paychecks. The Jets shifted Holmes' money into roster, reporting and signing bonuses, which aren't affected by the suspension.
The move came one month after the Jetsrestructured cornerback Antonio Cromartie's contract so he could settle some financial obligations. A league source told NFL Network insider Jason La Canfora that the Jets converted part of Cromartie's $1.7 million salary into a roughly $500,000 bonus that he immediately received.
The Jetswouldn't directly comment on Cromartie's contract, but general manager Mike Tannenbaum said the team was trying to give the cornerback "his best chance to be successful" after the team acquired him in a trade with the San Diego Chargers.
