Detroit Lions guard Halapoulivaati Vaitai has seriously reduced his salary this offseason in one of the NFL’s most notable pay cuts, allowing him to stay with the team. This move has decreased Vaitai’s cap impact to $5.05 million for this year, as detailed by OverTheCap.com, which has freed up almost $7 million in additional cap space for the Lions.
Vaitai, who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round in 2016, has agreed to lower his base salary from $9.4 million to just $1.21 million for this season, based on records from the NFL Players Association. In return, the Lions have adjusted his contract, making the final year in 2024 voidable.
Initially a major free-agent acquisition for the Lions in 2020, Vaitai faced the risk of being cut due to missing the entirety of the previous season following back surgery. Throughout his tenure in Detroit, Vaitai has dealt with recurring foot and back injuries but has managed to start 25 games at right guard during the 2020-21 seasons.
If he can stay healthy, he is expected to compete for the right guard position this season against veteran Graham Glasgow, who recently joined the Lions through free agency.
According to prideofdetroit.com, although Vaitai’s base salary is listed as $3 million, an intricate rule known as the 50% rule means that it only counts against the cap at the minimum salary of $1.21 million for next year. The remaining $1.79 million is categorized as a signing bonus and distributed over the remaining years of the contract.