Just one week after he abruptly decided to retire, Branden Albert has changed his mind. That doesn’t mean his former team will welcome him back.
Michael DiRocco of ESPN.com reports that the Jacksonville Jaguars are not expected to allow Albert to return to the team after his one-week hiatus. It’s possible the 32-year-old overplayed his hand, as Albert had openly expressed a desire to work out a new contract with the Jags prior to retiring.
The Jaguars traded a 2018 seventh-round pick to the Miami Dolphins in exchange for Albert back in March. Because the Dolphins gave Albert an $8.5 million signing bonus in 2014, Jacksonville had the option of trying to get Albert to pay back a $3.4 million portion of the bonus after he retired before playing out the entire deal.
Albert was due base salaries of $8.875 million in 2017 and $9.575 million in 2018. None of that money was guaranteed, which is why he wanted a new contract.
Jaguars second-round pick Cam Robinson had already been competing with Albert for the starting left tackle job, so it’s possible the team committed to the rookie after Albert retired on July 31.
