Report: Clay Matthews Filing Grievance Against Los Angeles Rams Over Unpaid Guaranteed Money
(CBSLA)- The Los Angeles Rams released linebacker Clay Matthews earlier this offseason after just one season with the team. The move was an understandable one, as Matthews was due to have around a $6 million cap hit if he was still on the roster come time for the season and the Rams were low on salary cap space.
However, in cutting him, the Rams still owed Matthews a $2 million roster bonus, which he says they never paid. According to a report from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Matthews has now filed a grievance with the NFL Player's Association against the organization.
Clay Matthews is filing a grievance over $2M in unpaid guarantees from the Rams, according to sources. He's submitted paperwork with the NFLPA, which will handle his filing. Matthews & Todd Gurley vented frustrations about non-payments, and Matthews is doing something about it
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) April 29, 2020
The 33-year-old Matthews wasn't the only player the team released this offseason who vented frustrations about not being paid by the organization. As Fowler mentions, former running back Todd Gurley, now with the Atlanta Falcons tweeted this in April:
@RamsNFL past due. Send me money ASAP
— Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) April 8, 2020
Rams general manager Les Snead did tell NFL Network in the lead up to the Draft that the players are both owed money, but the team is adhering to the terms of their contracts in regards to when they get the money.
"They're definitely owed money. That money is guaranteed. We're going to pay them," Rams general manager Les Snead told NFL Network before the NFL draft. "There's some language in the contract of exactly when you pay them, and that's what we're adhering by. What I do know is both Clay and Todd earned that money, and they're going to get that money."
According to ESPN, offset language in both players' contracts stipulates that some of the money they're owed may be reduced dependent on signing with a new team.