Jay Ajayi started off his NFL career with such promise, earning Pro Bowl honors in just his second season. Unfortunately, a torn ACL cut his pro career short.
In 2018, Ajayi suffered a torn ACL. He made several attempts at a comeback, but he was unable to return to his Pro Bowl form.
On the bright side, Ajayi has received a settlement for his $5 million loss-of-value insurance policy. His business manager, Joshua Sanchez, confirmed the news on Tuesday.
This is a nice consolation prize for Ajayi, who played just three more games in the NFL after tearing his ACL.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk provided a detailed explanation on insurance settlements and what usually takes place behind the scenes.
From ProFootballTalk:
The term “settlement” implies that Ajayi didn’t get the full $5 million. Common sense suggests that he should have gotten every penny. He tore his ACL in the last year of his rookie deal, and he found no takers at all on the open market. Obviously, the torn ACL kept him from getting paid significant money to play the game.
Most insurance policies are riddled with exceptions, exclusions, and conditions. When someone like Jay Ajayi shows up expecting to receive the $5 million in coverage that he purchased, the knee-jerk reaction is to jerk him around. Legitimately, but inevitably. Delay. Resist. Refuse. Make it difficult. Buy time. Hope that the customer eventually will take less than he deserves, years after he deserved to get it.
Thankfully, Ajayi received the money he deserves.
Ajayi finished his NFL career with 2,546 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 572 carries. His best moment came in February 2018 when he won a Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles.