Despite compromises between players and clubs about the nature of Spring workouts, there is still one gap in the offseason, and that concerns protections for players who are working out on their own. This came under the spotlight after former Denver Broncos tackle Ja’Wuan James suffered a season-ending injury while working with an independent trainer.
The team put him on the Non-Football Injury List and subsequently released him, and is expected not to honor the more than $10 million in compensation he would have been owed in ‘guaranteed’ money, with the argument that the guarantee for injury only covers those sustained while working with the club.