The New York Giants want to keep linebacker Blake Martinez on their team for the 2022 season, but at a reduced salary.
According to a report from NFL Media, the Giants are trying to rework Martinez’s deal to give them more room under the salary cap. Martinez is set to count against the cap for $14.025 million in 2022, according to OverTheCap.com.
He’s heading into the final season of a three-year, $30.75 million contract that he signed prior to the 2020 season. Martinez’s base salary for 2022 is $8,425,0000; his signing bonus is prorated against the cap for $5.5 million, and he also has a $100,000 workout bonus.
Martinez is working his way back from a torn ACL. He was limited to only three games last season, the last of which saw him tear the ACL after just five plays. One of the league’s most prolific tacklers, Martinez was a fourth-round pick of the Green Bay Packers back in 2016. He played the first four seasons with Green Bay before signing with the Giants.
New York is transitioning to a new front office and coaching staff, as well as a new defensive coordinator. Don Martindale’s defenses in Baltimore did deploy inside linebackers like Martinez, but they tended to pay less for them than the premium the Giants are currently paying for Martinez. If the two sides can’t come to an agreement on a reduced salary, it’s possible Martinez is playing elsewhere next season.
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