Broncos Travis Henry could lose bonus money, salary if suspended

Denver Broncos tailback Travis Henry,
who is fighting a one-year ban for a repeat violation of the NFL
substance abuse policy, would likely suffer significant financial
losses if he is eventually suspended by the league.

Henry

Henry, 28, signed a five-year, $22.5 million contract with the Broncos in March, only days after the Tennessee Titans
released him to avoid paying an $8 million roster bonus that he was due
early in the month. The contract with the Broncos includes language
that stipulates Henry must repay a $6 million signing bonus, or
whatever portion of it he has been paid, if he is suspended for drugs
at any time during the term of the deal.

To date, Henry
has received $2 million of the signing bonus. Another $1 million is due
in November, and the final $3 million installment is due to be paid in
March 2008.

In an affidavit filed as part of his lawsuit
to try to block the NFL's testing of the so-called "B-sample" of his
urine specimen, Henry stated: "If I fail this test, I will be suspended
for one year from my employment, and will be obliged to repay all
signing bonuses paid to date."

The Broncos would
probably withhold future installments of the signing bonus if Henry is
suspended. If his case is not resolved quickly and Denver is forced to
make payments on the rest of the signing bonus, the Broncos would then
seek to recover that money if Henry does not prevail in court and is
eventually banned for a year.

But the potential forfeiture
of the singing bonus is just part of the financial ramifications that
could impact Henry if he is suspended.

According to salary
documents obtained by ESPN.com, Henry's contract also calls for a $6
million option bonus due in the spring of 2009. The Broncos almost
certainly would not pay that bonus if he is suspended.

The
option bonus is guaranteed for "injury only," meaning that, if the
Broncos failed to exercise it, the only way they would be liable for
the $6 million is if Henry had suffered a career-ending injury.

So
far this season, in addition to the $2 million in signing bonus money,
Henry has earned $135,000 of his $595,000 base salary for 2007 and
collected a $100,000 offseason workout bonus. The Broncos can not
recover any of the base salary or workout bonus money. And Henry will
make an additional $35,000 for every week that he is on the roster,
which also would not be subject to recovery if he earns it.

Because
he is a vested veteran, Henry's base salary for 2007 is guaranteed. But
if Henry is suspended without pay, the sanction overrides the guarantee.

His
base salaries for future seasons, which obviously would be jeopardized
by suspension, are $730,000 for 2008, $1.375 million in 2009, $2.4
million in 2010 and $3.9 million in 2011. There are offseason workout
bonuses of $100,000 for each of those seasons. And in the final two
seasons of the contract, there are roster bonuses of $500,000 each. All
of that money could be at risk.

Loss of income could also
affect Henry's ability to meet certain legal responsibilities. In a
child-support action in Georgia earlier this year, it was revealed that
Henry has fathered nine children by nine different women. Courts in
several jurisdictions have ordered him to make child-support payments
for seven of the children.

ESPN.COM

Powered by ScribeFire.