Mark Vader Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I wanted some feedback from as many as possible on this subject. Do the Bills believe that Kevin Everett is going to play again? Now before you start laughing at me and start calling me stupid, let me just say one thing. Everett is still on the Bills active roster. Not on any reserve roster, the active roster. If they did'nt expect him to play again, why keep him there? Why not make an injury settlement? Is this all a PR move by the Bills? Because this one has me puzzled. Thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvermike Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Well, considering he went from "life-threatening condition" to "walking" in a few months, I figure he's about a year away from being Antonio Gates at this pace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Griffin Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 Do the Bills believe that Kevin Everett is going to play again? Thoughts? From everything I've heard or read, the general consensus is no. He will NOT attempt to play again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 They'll release him (or he'll file retirement papers) at some point, but it isn't a big deal right now since they're so far under the cap. He'll be off the roster one way or another when they start training camp -- with 10 draft picks to sign and no NFL Europe exemptions, that 80-player limit will look a little tighter this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I strongly doubt he will ever play again. Why risk it? It is an amazing story that he is alive and well, let alone walking. Neck injuries are scary as hell. Just as David Pollack. I think he is still on the active roster out of respect to him. Perhaps is helps him with his med bills and benefits. Maybe it is tribute. I am sure though he will not be on the active roster when we cut down to 53. We have more then 53 solid players on the roster now- and we will need every roster spot we have Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobillsinytown Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I think they kept Kevin on the active roster for financial reasons.......not for the Bills, but because staying on the active roster would provide additional financial benefit to him. This is just a guess, others here probably have more knowledge, but I would guess he was still getting game checks every week by staying on the active roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Avenger Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I think they kept Kevin on the active roster for financial reasons.......not for the Bills, but because staying on the active roster would provide additional financial benefit to him. This is just a guess, others here probably have more knowledge, but I would guess he was still getting game checks every week by staying on the active roster. There's no way they're going to burn a roster spot on a guy who won't have medical clearance to play. If they want to do something for him financially they'll cut him an injury settlement that essentially guarantees what he has left on his contract. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ax4782 Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 I think he has remained on the roster for health insurance benefits reasons. Obviously football players are covered by top of the line coverage, and with all of the hospital bills he had, the team probably wanted to help him out. He might have a multi-million dollar contract, but those medical bills would likely have eaten up all of it. I think once he is really in the clear, Buffalo will cut him an injury settlement check. We'll see, but this is my best guess as to why he has remained on the active roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steely Dan Posted May 3, 2008 Share Posted May 3, 2008 They'll release him (or he'll file retirement papers) at some point, but it isn't a big deal right now since they're so far under the cap. He'll be off the roster one way or another when they start training camp -- with 10 draft picks to sign and no NFL Europe exemptions, that 80-player limit will look a little tighter this year. His contract, I believe, was done before the cash to the cap thingy. I can't imagine that his cap hit would be anything but minimal but they may be waiting for June 1st. He may also need a certain number of years to qualify for a pension. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trader Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I think he has remained on the roster for health insurance benefits reasons. Obviously football players are covered by top of the line coverage, and with all of the hospital bills he had, the team probably wanted to help him out. He might have a multi-million dollar contract, but those medical bills would likely have eaten up all of it. I think once he is really in the clear, Buffalo will cut him an injury settlement check. We'll see, but this is my best guess as to why he has remained on the active roster. I agree it think it's a respect thing and also has to do with the injury settlement. They also might have some type of official retirement ceremony for him at an appropriate time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobillsinytown Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I agree it think it's a respect thing and also has to do with the injury settlement. They also might have some type of official retirement ceremony for him at an appropriate time. You're right. This is not a typical injury case, so I think the team is going to out of its way to help him. Also, Ralph has been donating a lot of money to the foundation that funded the "body cooling" research, so he's going to have a personal connection there as well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fewell733 Posted May 4, 2008 Share Posted May 4, 2008 I don't think there is a reserve roster in the offseason. No, there's no way he's coming back - they're probably leaving him on the roster for as long as they can because it probably benefits him a little - maybe with insurance, maybe access to facilities. They're looking out for him however they can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRC Posted May 5, 2008 Share Posted May 5, 2008 His contract, I believe, was done before the cash to the cap thingy. I can't imagine that his cap hit would be anything but minimal but they may be waiting for June 1st. He may also need a certain number of years to qualify for a pension. You need 4 years to be eligible for an NFL pension. My guess is that they will keep him on the roster as long as possible. When it gets time to release him, I am guessing that they will have him officially retire, instead of cutting him. Then, they might give him a FO job doing PR work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Three years, according to what Troy Vincent said last September: Vincent said Everett qualifies as a vested veteran by earning his third full NFL season when the Bills placed him on the injured reserve list last week. That means the player is eligible for the union's lifetime compensation package for total and permanent disability. And since he suffered a permanent disability on the job, he's not only eligible for worker's compensation, he's covered under the NFLPA's benefits package: Disability Benefits If a player retires or stops playing because he is injured, disability benefits are critically important and are provided as part of the retirement plan. The following list shows a summary of annual pension disability benefits under the new program by type of disability. Total and Permanent Disability Total and permanent disability falls under four categories: Active Football Benefit provided for a player who is disabled as a result of NFL football activities and shortly thereafter results in a total and permanent disability (unable to work at any occupation). 2003-2011: $224,000 per year Now, I suppose the disability board could try to screw Everett over (as they have done to so many former players) by claiming he's not totally disabled... but considering his high profile, they'd be unwise to do so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFan Trapped in Pats Land Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 Three years, according to what Troy Vincent said last September: And since he suffered a permanent disability on the job, he's not only eligible for worker's compensation, he's covered under the NFLPA's benefits package: Now, I suppose the disability board could try to screw Everett over (as they have done to so many former players) by claiming he's not totally disabled... but considering his high profile, they'd be unwise to do so. They did it to Johnny Unitas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 They did it to Johnny Unitas. 1. Unitas didn't break his neck and damn near die in the middle of a game. 2. Thanks to the efforts of guys like Joe DeLamielleure to publicize previous shoddy dealings of the disability board, they'll have Congress breathing down their necks if they try something stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gggal Posted May 8, 2008 Share Posted May 8, 2008 ok, i used to be a member, but apparently when I just tried to log in, I don't exist? Anyways. Re-registered. About Everett, the fact that he is on the "active roster" right now doesn't really mean anything. Remember, teams can carry up to 80 active players until cutdowns. After his injury last year, he was put on the reserve list for the remainder of the season and would have gotten his salary each week. The day after Pro Bowl every year, EVERY player in the whole league on reserve/injured gets "activated." basically when everett or other players still injured "report" to training camp and "fail their physical" then they would go back on the reserve list and free up the roster spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts