The Falcons have reached an injury settlement with veteran guard Jon Asamoah, the team announced today in a press release. The transaction will remove Asamoah from Atlanta’s injured reserve list, making him a free agent.
Asamoah, 27, spent the first four years of his NFL career with the Chiefs, after being selected by Kansas City in the third round of the 2010 draft. He parlayed 41 starts at right guard for the Chiefs into a five-year, $22.5MM deal with the Falcons in 2014. However, after starting 15 games for Atlanta last season, Asamoah landed on injured reserve this year prior to the start of the 2015 campaign due to a hip issue. He also wasn’t viewed as a fit under the new coaching staff’s zone-blocking scheme.
Asamoah’s contract still featured $3.9MM in dead money after the 2015 season, so the Falcons figure to carry a chunk of money on their 2016 cap for the offensive lineman. But, depending on what the injury settlement looks like, the club should be off the hook for the rest of his contract, including his $3.5MM salary and $500K in roster bonuses for 2016.
The fact that the Falcons had to complete an injury settlement with Asamoah rather than simply release him from IR suggests that he’s not healthy yet, so I wouldn’t expect him to sign with a new club until the offseason.
