After being suspended for one season for violating the NFL’s drug policy for the fourth time, Ricky Williams has reached a deal with the Toronto Argonauts to play in the CFL in 2006. The deal is reportedly a one-year contract worth $240,000, which would make Williams the highest paid running back in the league.
The $240,000 is a far cry from the $8.6 million that Williams still owes to the Miami Dolphins, but at least he will remain in game shape while he sits out for one season.
Against the Dolphins wish of Williams playing in the CFL, head coach Nick Saban said he would leave the final decision up to Ricky.
“We expressed to Ricky our concerns about playing in Toronto in 2006,” Saban said. “We are relying on assurances made by Ricky, his agent, the Toronto Argonauts, and the commissioner of the Canadian Football League that Ricky will return to the Dolphins in 2007.
“Based on these assurances and despite our concerns for Ricky playing in the CFL in 2006, we will leave it up to him to decide whether or not he will negotiate a contract to play for the Argonauts this year.”
I’ve never seen a decision to ultimately quit football to take drugs backfire as much as it has for Ricky Williams. He quits, realizes he owes $8.6 million, decides to return, gets caught again and now he’s playing in the CFL just to earn more money.
If this situation is not turned into an after school special on why drugs are bad, I don’t know what will.
