Pretty gross misrepresentation in that article headline to be honest. It's merely a source saying NE will likely have to pay AB's signing bonus (and based on what Kraft/Pats are fighting, they will probably end up paying Brown).
"Where it concerns Brown’s $9 million signing bonus, the fight appears to be heading to an argument of one clause in the CBA. Specifically, Article 4 and section 9, which lays the foundation of the forfeitable breach of money within a contract. It states:
(a) Forfeitable Breach. Any player who (i) willfully fails to report, practice or play with the result that the player’s ability to fully participate and contribute to the team is substantially undermined (for example, without limitation, holding out or leaving the squad absent a showing of extreme personal hardship); or (ii) is unavailable to the team due to conduct by him that results in his incarceration; or (iii) is unavailable to the team due to a nonfootball injury that resulted from a material breach of Paragraph 3 of his NFL Player Contract; or (iv) voluntarily retires ...
Brown does not fit into any of those qualifications for termination of his $9 million signing bonus, and therefore will (very likely) end up receiving that money from Kraft."
