Riley agreed to drop his salary to about $6 million from nearly $11 million.
The story:
Riley Reiff's new deal with Vikings includes $5 million pay cut
The left tackle restructured his contract to help the team's salary cap situation, but can recoup some losses through incentives.
By Andrew Krammer
Minneapolis Star Tribune
SEPTEMBER 3, 2020 — 4:31 PM
Riley Reiff's restructured contract creates $5 million in salary cap savings for the Vikings, while giving the left tackle a chance to recoup $2 million through playing-time incentives.
Reiff
agreed to drop his salary to about $6 million from nearly $11 million, according to a league source, to stay in Minnesota. Teammates were under the impression Reiff was going to be released on Tuesday, when he and his agent, Neil Cornrich, accepted a steep pay cut the Vikings broached after
trading for defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from Jacksonville.
Reiff, the 31-year-old team captain, avoids searching for a new team amid COVID-19 restrictions and NFL revenue shortfalls.
The Vikings' front office structured Reiff's incentives in a way that will allow him to recoup money while keeping it off the salary cap this season. Reiff can earn back $1 million for reaching 86% playing time, and another $1 million for 93% playing time, according to a league source.
If healthy, both incentives are attainable for Reiff. But because he played 85.7% of snaps last season, they're deemed "not likely to be earned" for salary cap purposes and, if achieved, won't count against the cap until after the season.
Reiff returned to practice Thursday after missing three sessions earlier this week, when the shake-up included Brian O'Neill moving to left tackle. With O'Neill back on the right side and a new starter expected in left guard Dakota Dozier, coaches hope for offensive line stability.
"We'll settle down now and get back to work here with our guys," coordinator Gary Kubiak said. "We probably have an eight-man, seven-man type rotation going on as far as how we're working getting into [Week 1 vs. Green Bay]."
The left tackle restructured his contract to help the team's salary cap situation, but can recoup some losses through incentives.
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