Frank Clark and the Broncos Reach Salary Reduction Agreement, Opening the Door for Potential Trade.
In the lopsided AFC West rivalry, Frank Clark’s experiment with switching teams has taken an unexpected turn and may be coming to an end.
Recent reports from NFL Network Insider Mike Garafolo claim that Frank Clark and the Denver Broncos have reached an agreement to lower his base salary for the 2023 campaign. Clark has consented to a significant pay reduction from his initial $3.5 million salary to the league minimum of $841,000 for the remainder of the season.
A breakup between the player and the team could result from his decision to return $1.679 million in base pay as part of the restructured contract.
Frank Clark’s future with the struggling 1-4 Broncos is still up in the air, but according to Garafolo, he won’t play in the upcoming Thursday night matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs because of an undisclosed illness.
This turn of events is surprising given Clark’s prior success.
Throughout his time with the Seattle Seahawks and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2016 to 2022, he consistently recorded 4 or more sacks per season, which led to three selections to the Pro Bowl between 2019 and 2021.
Clark joined the Broncos, but so far he hasn’t really made a big difference. He has played in just two of the Broncos’ opening five games, and through the first five weeks of the season, he has only made two tackles and notched any sacks.
Denver bought Clark in the offseason with the goal of improving their defense, especially their pass-rushing unit, which was in desperate need of improvement.
The Broncos might be considering a similar move with Clark in light of the trade of another notable offseason signing, Randy Gregory, to the San Francisco 49ers.
Thankfully, his pay is no longer a sticking point in negotiations for a trade.
The Broncos’ sudden cut in Clark’s pay could be a sign that they are unhappy with his performance and need to look elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see if this action serves as a springboard for a trade or as a warning for Clark to get back to his old self.
However, it is clear that the Broncos are actively looking for ways to strengthen their defense and turn around their lackluster 2023 season debut.
