Chad Jones waived, headed to NFI

By Ralph Vacchiano

Chad Jones, the Giants’ rookie safety who was badly injured in a car accident in late June, was waived today in a procedural move so the Giants could put him on the reserve/non-football injury list.

Jones, a third-round pick out of LSU, is obviously out for the year after shattering his leg in that accident on the morning of June 25. He was recently released from the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and has returned to his New Orleans home. However he is expected back in New York for more surgery in about two months.

The move means that Jones, who signed a four-year, $2.6 million contract (with an $825,000 signing bonus) a few weeks before the accident, will remain property of the Giants in case he’s able to return to football next season. Of course it’s way too early for anyone to know if that’ll be possible at all.

“I’m just hopeful that Chad can have a normal life and walk without a limp at this point,” Giants GM Jerry Reese told the Daily News yesterday, before the roster move was made. “Anything after that is a plus for me. If he makes it back to the football field, that’s fantastic. But really, my hopes and prayers are that he can have a normal life and walk without a limp and be a normal person. Right now, that’s really what I’m wishing for for him.”

NFL rules state that teams must first waive any players with less than four accrued season if they want to place them on a reserve list before the first cuts in late August - - just like the Giants did a few weeks ago with injured kick returner Domenik Hixon. Since Jones is out for the year, it’s a safe bet that no team will claim him and pick up his salary, especially since no one knows if he’ll ever play again.

NFL rules also say the Giants are not required to pay any of his salary while he’s on the NFI list, though they can not attempt to recoup his signing bonus. The Giants will likely pay him part of the salary at least, though they’re likely to consider the cost of his medical care and other factors before they settle on a number with Jones and his family and agent.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/2010/07/chad-jones-waived-headed-to-nf.html#ixzz0v7gYeyUf

TD wrote:I'm glad Chad will at least receive the 825,000 signing bonus. This should help greatly with his medical bills. Especially if he doesn't have med insurance.

Big_Pete wrote:I think the Giants intend to sign him to the NFI list and see how he recovers

TD wrote:

NYG Hampton 27 wrote:Coming right out of college he might not, the article mentions him possibly getting some his salary for medical bills and with the class the Giants generally show, I would think that is likely.

ok maybe.
I thought that I read another article somewhere that said he would get to keep the signing bonus but maybe I did read it wrong.