Offensive lineman Dwayne
Carswell can rest assured that
he will be paid for the rest of the
season by the Broncos.
The team told his agent, James
Field, it will honor Carswell’s
2005 contract even though he is
out for the rest of the season on
the reserve/nonfootball injury
list after suffering serious injuries
in an auto accident.
When players go on the nonfootball
injury list, teams are not
obligated to honor the rest of
that season’s contract. However,
the Broncos will pay Carswell,
who has been with the team
since 1994, the remainder of his
765,000 base salary. Carswell
was on the active roster the first
eight games of the season, including
one after his accident.
“It was never a concern because
we know how class of an
organization the Broncos have
been,” Field said. “This gives
Dwayne a chance to rest easy
while he recuperates, and we appreciate
it. Dwayne has been a
Bronco a long time, and this is a
show of what he means to
them.”
Carswell, 33, is the NFL’s third
high-profile player this season
whose contract has been affected
by being put on the nonfootball
injury list. Seattle recently
decided to pay safety Ken Hamlin
for the rest of the season after
he was injured in a fight outside
a nightclub. Arizona decided
against paying the entire contract
of defensive lineman Calvin
Pace, who was injured while
wrestling at a home.
Carswell said in an interview
with The Denver Post on Monday
that he plans to play for the
Broncos next season. He was released
from a hospital Friday.
Carswell was driving to Broncos
headquarters Oct. 27 when a
car headed in the opposite direction
jumped the median, hitting
his car. He underwent five hours
of surgery after suffering multiple
rib fractures, a ruptured diaphragm
and a ruptured spleen,
which was removed.
Bill Williamson can be reached
at 303-820-5450 or
bwilliamson@denverpost.com.
