The biggest question that has come with the signing of
Danny Amendola as
Wes Welker's replacement in the slot is Amendola's ability to stay on the field. Amendola has the physical skills that are necessary to play slot receiver, but all of those skills mean nothing if he's on the sidelines. The new
Patriots WR understands that injuries come with the territory:
“You have to understand that it’s a football game. Injuries sometimes happen,” Amendola said. “I really don’t have much to say about the critics who talk about injuries because its just part of the game and stuff like that happens. Trying to stay healthy and trying to get on the field obviously, is the number one priority.”
Only once in Amendola's four-year career has he managed to play in all 16 games. Over the past two seasons, he's appeared in just 12. So although injuries are totally out of control of players, coaches and personnel, the Patriots made a wise choice to add some injury incentives to Amendola's contract.
As
WEEI.com reported, Amendola will receive an additional $31,250 in 'per-game roster bonuses' and also $500,000 for every season that he plays in all 16 games. With these incentives, the WR could make an additional $2.5 million over the span of his 4-year contract. Although Amendola doesn't need any extra motivation to stay healthy (who wants to be injured?) adding these incentives is good idea for both sides.
Anthony Aidonidis
