Jackson has restructured his deal, but there's a pretty good chance, he won't be in Kansas City in 2013. 
Two of the more disappointing top-five draft picks in recent years have restructured their contracts, because, it turns out, making less money is better than making no money at all.

So, as NFL.com writes, Rams tackle Jason Smith, taken No. 2 in 2009, and 2009's No. 3 pick Chiefs defensive end Tyson Jackson have agreed to take big paycuts for 2012.

As Mac’s Football Blog originally reported, Smith will have his salary cut by more than half. Smith was scheduled to make a $10 million base salary in 2012 and $12 million in 2013, but now he’ll make a guaranteed $4 million with a roster bonus of $500,000 for 2012.

Instead of making $12 million guaranteed in 2013, he’ll make a $750,000 base salary with an $11.25 million roster bonus. His 2014 season, which was a voidable year in Smith’s original contract, now has been deleted.

All this means that Smith, who is now the team’s right tackle and who only played six games last year because of a bad concussion, has to be in good form this season, because if not, St. Louis could cut him before it has to pay him that roster bonus for 2013.

Meanwhile, Jackson has restructured his deal as well. According to NFL.com, Jackson’s salary has been cut to $4.25 million in 2012 from $8 million. He’s still on the books to make $14.7 million in 2013 (which would cost Kansas City $17.5 million in salary cap space), and there’s a better-than-average chance Jackson will be cut before the team has to pay him that money.
But if Jackson can break out this season, he’d find himself on the free agent market a year before originally scheduled.

Jackson is coming off a season in which he recorded a career-best 55 tackles, but in three seasons, he’s still only accumulated two career sacks.

While Smith and Jackson will make less money in the short term, temporarily helping their team’s salary cap figures, both could be more valuable long term if they have strong 2012 campaigns. For Smith and Jackson, there’s still time to turn around what have been disappointing careers. And there’s still time to earn even more money.

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