Patterson's agent plans to file grievance against Eagles
Philly.com, Inquirer, and Daily News coverage of the Eagles
Patterson's agent plans to file grievance against Eagles
Jeff McLane
Mike Patterson's agent said that he planned to file a grievance through the NFL Players Association after the Eagles placed his client on the Non-Football Illness list on Wednesday.
"This is not how you treat people if you're a winning organization," Peter Schaffer said to The Inquirer.
Patterson will lose about $150,000 or 50 percent of his remaining salary, according to Schaffer.
Patterson contracted pneumonia last week and was hospitalized. He was home and resting as of Tuesday, according to team trainer Rick Burkholder.
Schaffer said that he spoke to Howie Roseman after he was informed of the move and told the Eagles general manager then that he planned to file a grievance because he believed the defensive tackle likely contracted the illness because of work.
"I think it's pretty clear that he got it at practice or at the NovaCare Complex," Schaffer said. "That's where he spends all his time. That's all he's doing is practicing and working out."
The Eagles released a statement Wednesday evening.
"Our number one priority is to get Mike Patterson well enough to get back on the football field," the Eagles said. "He has worked hard this year to get back and he has our full support as an organization."
Patterson's season is over. Players placed on Non-Football Illness lists must sit out for at least eight games. This is Patterson's second stint on the list this year. The Eagles placed him on it in late August as he recovered from January brain surgery to have an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) removed from his brain.
The Eagles reduced Patterson's pay 50 percent, as is their right, until he returned for the Nov. 5 game at New Orleans. He lost about $1 million, but was paid in full for the five games he played this season. Patterson finished the year with nine tackles and one sack.
Patterson, 29, is the Eagles' longest-tenured player. He was selected in the first round of the 2005 draft. The team is not expected to bring the eight-year veteran back next season. He has four years left on his contract.
"I told Howie this morning that if he could prove to be that Mike didn't get pneumonia at practice I wouldn't file a grievance," Schaffer said. "He said he couldn't."
Schaffer has had a long-standing relationship with the Eagles. He would have lunch with Roseman and former Eagles president Joe Banner every year at the Indianapolis scouting combine.
"I love Howie, but this is wrong and petty," Schaffer said. "To do this to one of your leaders and to a guy that fought back from brain surgery is just wrong."
The Eagles signed fullback/tight end Emil Igwenagu off the practice squad and to their 53-man roster to take Patterson's place. They also signed defensive tackle Ronnie Cameron to the practice squad.
Comments (83)
Comment removed.- Patterson is a head case.
— Eddie Spaghetti - wow , this should sit well in the locker room...all this guy has been thru and your going to pull this for a lousy 150k ?? this organization is an absolute joke !!!— psmitty73
- I guess their thinking is they will have to save for next year seeing they will be paying two head coaches. One they hire and one they fire. Another black eye for the front office. This is what you get when you have an accountant instead of a general manager. Is it true next year they are installing pay toilets because they haven't figured out to put little tiny windmills on the ones they have now?— Pineapple Betafish
- Wow looks like Howie really is in charge and he might end up being more of a weasel than Banner.— section117
- The agent is wrong in thinking the burden of proof is on the Eagles, but it is the other way around. I'm ready to rip the Eagles for this because of all Patterson has been through but there may be deeper reasons for this that we are not aware of, possible liability and such.— Sidewinder7
- "This is not how you treat people if you're a winning organization"! Correctamundo......they are no longer a "winning organization" and also remember that they have an Accountant as the GM! Save that money Howie, I see a record coming in the 2013 Salary Cap! 2013 Salary Cap Champs again, yea baby!— cooperhawk
- If Chuck Pagano was head coach in Philly, they would dock his pay too
— DogfightingAficionado 
ANY ALL YOU PEOPLE KEEP PAYING FOR EAGLES TICKETS!!!
LoL...Eagles fans are such brainwashed fools.— Professor1982- Football won't be relevant in Philly for a couple of years. Until Lurie sells the team or gets rid of Howie.
- "For who, for what", it's all starting to make sence now.— Thelonius Monk
- Give him the money!— imustgoih82bl8
- Give the cash to Patterson....you have players on the field stealing money all over your secondary. Patterson had legitimate illness this year and has been a producer / leader for us. Taking the $ from the wrong player Howie. Start with DRC, Nnamdi, Coleman, Allen, Dunlap, Watkins..just to give you a few names.— RealizticFan
Hey Pete, the Iggles are not a winning organization.— HappyBob- Class move, Howie.— Boru
- very petty for this organization. Saving 150k for a player that has been loyal and gone through what Patterson hadsgone through is rediculous.— flyersfev
- Don't weasels run in packs? It doesn't show any class to kick someone when they are down.— BigLadd
- It's not a move to save $150K; it's a move to open a roster spot. Use your brains, people. That being said, I like Patt and would like to see him with the team. I don't know who this elusive person who does not "expect" him to return is.— operagost
- Lurie blows.— Larry Byrd
- Someone in the organization is letting Rosebud slowly hang himself. First, the whiny little retraction that "I had nothing to do with Jim Washburn being here, waaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!" Now a low class hatchet job to a player that virtually the entire team saw at death's door during training camp. Is this the embarrassment that reopens the door to Reid returning?
§
— Quixote II - @QII: Before this year I would point the finger at Joe Banner, but he's gone. This kind of petty, vindictive, heartless and cold atmosphere can not come without the blessing from high above, Lurie. Behind EVERY questionable and team morale breaking move this bunch has made is the captain at the helm. Or has he abdicated the moral direction his team operates under, too? Mike Patterson has been a worthy Eagle, unlike, say, our defensive backfield, and to dock him his salary over an illness is inexcusable. Respectfully disagree with your take.....Roseman is doing exactly as he was ordered to do.....
I do like your Andy back at the helm scenario next year......with a 3 to 5 year extension and full football personnel control, to boot. That would be the Lurie way. - Hey 'DRR':
I would only say that Lurie is old money, 2nd generation publishing business money. Being petty and mean spirited to the employees is inexcusable. I do not see Lurie originating this, nor giving it his approval. And I 100% do NOT see Mormon Reid (look at Vick) doing it either. And so that leaves ...
And if Rosebud DID insist on Washburn, and did run the last 3 drafts, then ...
Stay tuned.
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- Patterson won't be back. And he shouldn't. Go where you are wanted and treated right through sickness and health Mike. You've been a great leader and a solid player for us. Just another situation that is not needed and unwarranted considering everything he's done and been through professionally and personally.— SeenGreen
- Just curious, what was Patterson's signing bonus when he re-upped? I'm sure it was a decent amount of money.— march951
- let chistina take over the team ....... jeffrey needs to go away ... blackouts next year ... washington game will look like phillies vs nationals in DC .............ALL SKINS FANS .... LOVE IT— tk
- The Eagles don't owe Patterson nothing. They are in business to win games not to worry about hurting someones feelings. They make business decisions to makes the team better. Patterson has made a good living playing football the kind of living most people dream about. Get it done on the field or get replaced that's the way it is....Nothing personal just business!— jmb53
- classy— high alpine
- classy— high alpine
- classy— high alpine
- Joe Banner was a good teacher.— Bruce in NM
Essense of the bitter owner.— Zeru- The Eagles organization showed their lowest of standards by doing this to a player who did everything he could to put his life on the line for them, last year and this year. I'm disgusted by Roseman and Lurie. Jeff Lurie should be ashamed of himself, billionaire owner, classless human being ... if I still lived in Philly and had my tickets, I'd burn them in the parking lot and try to get TV and radio involved to demonstrate how bad things have gotten. Kuharich wasn't much worse, neither was Tose, as far as skinflints go ...— petergou
- Real 'classy' organization. They seem to be losers on and off the field.— black prince
- Once again the Eagles prove what a classless organization that they really are. And Andy Reid considers himself a christian.— RH
- Look at all the sheep bahing at one side of the story that a likely scumbag agent has circulated. This likely has nothing to do with money.— Sidewinder7
- Stay classy Eagles.— 76sixers
- shades of the norman breman era— stayoutofphilly
- WOW,,,,I bet during the offseason, tons of free agents will be lining up to sign with the Eagles. If this were any other business, lawyers would be lining up behind Patterson waiting to go after the Eagles. Its just wrong of the Eagles and their management...simple...factual.— drhoffman
- This is why I have no confidence in Jeff or Howie moving forward even after they fire Andy. It is consistent , however, with the owners treatment of Eagles employees;he does whatever he can get away with, then runs around wondering why fans think he's a bad person.— drbob1
- This team was a loser when they signed Michael Vick. It showed the fans what the Eagles thought about them.
The disease started with the owner, and was spread to anyone he was in contact with. It's time a football oriented owner takes over, and he and the other schmuck Roseman the bean counter, leave the country.— phineas - Howie - doc your own pay you accountant weasel! Lurie- for 150K really? Way to galvanize a locker room against management...dummies— frustrated1
- Give a new contract to conVicktim but cut a sick man's pay. Gold Standard character guys indeed.
— autolykos - eagles blow, long before this with patterson— jamarder
- Yeah, if I was losing $150K for 3 weeks of work, I'd be upset too. Wait? What?— GreenWing
- Beyond shady. Truly unbelievable. After all this guy has been through? You NEVER here anything negative coming from Patterson and they treat him like he was running with the bulls. A truly embarrassing moment for this organization.— mx55
- So much for the "kinder, gentler" Eagles.— scootch
- Really sad, and this man is suppose to be the one who leads the search for the next coach. Winter is coming....— DrSmoke
- The Eagles motto should be " when you're DOWN you're OUT" No mercy.— petite11bryant
- Wow...Joe Banner is alive and hiding inside Howie's BVD's.— nasjo
Wow, OK. This is will be just another reason to boo on Thursday more then I was planning on. That is disgusting. Even with opening up a roster spot you think Egil Egwakwounu (?) playing for three freaking weeks is going to make a difference for this team long term ? Is he going to become the next Antonio Gates ? This team is so stupid its now offensive. Patterson was one of the only guys on the team I actually liked. He doesnt get amazing stats on the field, but is a "glue" guy that keeps everyone together in the locker room. He is your longest tenurted player and has been nothing but solid on and off the field and this is how you repay him at the end ? TOILET STANDARD. LAST PLACE IN THE NFC, NOT ONLY CLUELESS BUT CLASSLESS. PLEASE SELL THE TEAM JEFEFREY AND GO BACK TO MAKING BAD MOVIES. THIS IS THE WORST I HAVE FELT ABOUT THE EAGLES IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. I ENJOYED WATCHING 3-13 TEAMS BETTER THEN THIS NO HEART CLASSESS ORGANIZATION. SELL THE TEAM JEFF. JUST SELL IT AND STOP EMBARESSSING YOURSELF.- I can see them wanting to use the roster spotm but unless I am mistaken, they have the option to put Patterson on the illness list and NOT dock him pay if they want to.— hillbillybirdsfan
- 100% agree with RealizticFan - Pay Patterson, Howie.— furiousball
- penny wise, pound foolish.— bobcitydoc
- No chance that this grievance will succeed.
Patterson would have to prove that he contracted pneumonia at the practice facility.
There is literally NO WAY to prove (or disprove) that.
Good luck with that one!— makrom - "This is not how you treat people if you're a winning organization,"
Dear Peter,
We are not a winning organization.
Signed,
Howie The Football Jean-Yus— fmMD - Lurie is on the Fools Gold standard— TPMILLER
- I am kind of suprised by the tone of the responses... He has been close to 2 million dollars for playing 6 games. Patterson stuck with the Eagles? More like the Eagles stuck with him rather than releasing him. Patterson is a salaried employee. If I got sick like this and had to go on long term disability, I would only get half pay. Why should football players be any different? They get paid to play and if the reason they can not play has noting to do with a football injury, he should be put on "long term disability".— chris_r
- Howie "Nickels" Roseman— bc3030
- This isn't the NHL.....Honor the contract!!!— realitybedamned
- The agent should sue himself for encouraging Patterson to keep playing after his brain surgery.— Paul SoTX
- Really?!? Are you kidding?!? Of all the fiasco's the Howie/Jeffy duo have overseen, and have seen blown up in their faces, it seems reasonable to these fools to gyp your longest standing non-mercenary vet because HE GOT SICK less than a year after he fought back from brain surgery to play in what was already a completely lost season?!? And they wonder why this "gold standard" franchise has become completely unlikeable...— rdglbav
- So if Howie get pneumonia and can't prove he got it while at work, will Lurie cut his pay in half? NFLPA union is weak, this would never happen with the MLB players union.— zeke128
- What a bunch of losers running this organization. If Lurie doesn't get rid of Roseman they'll go nowhere. In fact, if Lurie doent get out of this city they'll never go anywhere. The Eagles were his second choice and it shows— Unstable1
- Wow this is shocking. Howie must be really proud of himself. The poor guy has brain surgery and now gets hospitalizated with pneumonia, and all they care about is how much money they can get back from him. It's a disgrace. Just because you "can" take back some of his salary doesn't mean you should. Sometimes you should do whats right and let they guy keep his paycheck. Something tells me if Howie had to take a leave of absence for medical reasons he would expect to maintain his salary. Lurie better step up and pay patterson.— Gerald Delaney
- But they'll pay Reid next year and toss 4 million at Vick to make him go away. This franchise has really screwed up its priorities - more like the mold standard...— CrotchetyOldMan
- You want to save money.... let Marty "The Offensive Genius" Morhinwig go! ...and so what if his name is spelled wrong— M420
- Just read Thelonius' post.Haven't thought about Ricky Waters comment in a long time but this puts it in new perspective.Give the poor guy his $$$— amolino802
- What a disgrace!!! Quit being a bunch of cheap LOSERS and fork over the guy's paycheck. This seriously disgusts me. Can this organization get any more pathetic??!!?— boom dynamite
- Some well deserved outrage here. This is so typical of the way they operate. I am so disgusted and glad to have dialed back my support for them under this regime long ago. They even managed to tease me a little last week, but the future is dismal at best, too many questionable choices and reaches trying to appear smart, look at their draft picks history if you want to laugh or cry, especially the early rounds. Most were out of the league quickly if they even made the team or they keep them around like our safteys lately, not wanting to admit their mistakes. Why not just IR him, a loyal soldier that was inspirational to the rest of the team and performing well, he didn't make that much for his career, definitely not overpaid for his contributions IMO.
DC3030 love the shout out to "nickels", glad that guy followed Joe to Cleveland.
- Lurie the penny pincher!— Street Sense13
- Grievance may be difficult to prove because illness of this type is not usually considered occupational, BUT, for the amount of $$ involved IGGs come across as a really cheesy organization. Shame on you Jeffrey,— NewMick314
- That Jeff Lurie is one tough guy. As always, picking on the defenseless. I've rooted for the Eagles players for years but never this twerp or the other front office sissies he's hired. And, he's the only put.z in the NFL that would hire Roseman to run the football operation. This organization is not worth spending a dime on. You won your one game. Lose the rest.— Ballgame
- Howie "Nickels" Roseman!— Mark1npt
- "This is not how you treat people if you're a winning organization," Peter Schaffer said... The Eagles are NOT a winning organization, so atleast, they have that going for them. Organization is garbage and lets leave it at that.— Apollo Creed
- Lack of class in this move.— hawk18
- It's impossible to prove where Patterson got or didn't get pneumonia, but for heaven's sakes, give the good soldier the benefit of the doubt. Merry Christmas, Jeff and Howie! Oh, wait...— dasher
- typical classless move from a classless organization— Old German
- wrong and petty says it
unreal. lemme guess Howie gives himself a bigger holiday bonus— raoool - Completely legal but classless move by the Birds.A lotta that goin' around.— red rock
- You guys are good at spending someone else's money. The rules are the rules and let the grievance run its course before you all complain. If he gets mote, more power to him. If not, that is the way the cookie crumbles. Fans in Philly are know it alls and pathetic.— hankhammer2
- Pee Wee Roseman is a Dick weasel, pure and simple.— BLUEBELLION
- This is a total LOW CLASS organization with a lawyer as the GM and a Hollywood wannabe owner. Lots of luck playing for these dirtbags !! Ask Brian Dawkins !!!— soprano50
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