Raiders : Bo to Get $1 Million Just for Signing and Returning

And now, another in a series of reports on Raiders toiling in far-off lands:

A source confirms the report of Bo Jackson’s Raider contract, with some additional information on the salary breakdown.

Jackson will get a $500,000 signing bonus, plus a $500,000 reporting bonus if he returns in 1988.

He’ll receive salaries of $668,975 in ‘87, $748,499 in ‘88, $840,184 in ‘89, $960,886 in ’90 and $1,101,456 in ’91.

Additionally, if he plays all five seasons, he’ll receive another $2.1 million, payable in 25 years.

The contract is reportedly injury-guaranteed but there has been no mention of any other guarantee. Unlike baseball, most NFL contracts are not guaranteed. Thus, if Jackson doesn’t return next season, Al Davis will only be out Bo’s ’87 salary plus the signing bonus.

Guessing what Jackson will do is a little on the risky side, but in Kansas City the consensus around the Royals is that Bo is football-bound.

He has said he intends to honor all five years of his Raider contract. But what if the Royals--as General Manager John Schuerholz has said they will--press him just to play baseball next year?

“I wish I could see down the road that far,’ Jackson told the Kansas City Star’s Bob Nightengale last week, “but I can’t.”

And that was before Jackson was benched last weekend, after a series of misadventures in left field. On a single trip, he is credited with losing one game at Baltimore, two at New York and one at Boston. In Fenway Park, his misplays were both ruled doubles, and losing pitcher Charlie Leibrandt ripped the official scorer.

“This is the major leagues, not Little League,” Leibrandt said.

Said Willie Wilson: “Bo’s not a bad fielder. He’s not playing the way he can. I think mainly it’s because people are getting on him because of the football stories.

“Before, everybody was being really nice to him and cheering him. Now they’re really getting on him, yelling at him and throwing footballs. He may be big, but you forget, he’s still young.”

Jackson has taken the benching without complaint, although he did stick out his tongue at a TV camera that shot him sitting on the bench Wednesday night.

The Royals have replaced him with Lonnie Smith, considered a klutz in the outfield. Going into tonight’s game, they have won five of six with Smith in the lineup and plan no changes.

Raider Notes

The Raiders will open their exhibition season Saturday night at 7 against the San Francisco 49ers. Rusty Hilger will play the first half at quarterback, with Ed Luther scheduled to play the second half. However, Luther’s father died Wednesday night, and Luther was home in Orange County Thursday. Coach Tom Flores said he wants to talk to Luther before going ahead. . . . Out for sure: Bob Buczkowski (virus), Mike Davis (ankle injury) and Don Mosebar, who just reported to camp. . . . Two Raider linemen have undergone surgery. Veteran Mickey Marvin had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Curt Marsh, who had been favored to take Marvin’s right guard position, had a screw placed in one ankle to stabilize a fracture.