ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins safety DeAngelo Hall, coming off a torn ACL and still learning a new position, knew he didn't have many options. That's why it made sense for the 33-year-old to accept a pay cut to remain with Washington.
Hall said he recently accepted a reduced salary, cutting his base number almost in half. He had been scheduled to make $4.25 million this season but will now make $2.3 million, a source said. Redskins coach Jay Gruden has mentioned Hall's leadership as a reason they want to keep him around.
Under his previous contract, Hall would have counted $5.06 million against the cap. That would have been a hefty number for a player who has missed 31 combined games over the past three years.
Hall said he probably could have made more money elsewhere had he been healthy, but he knows his injury situation -- he tore his ACL in Week 3 last season -- and the team's moves at safety provided him with no leverage.
The Redskins added safety D.J. Swearinger in free agency and moved Su'a Cravens to strong safety after the season. They also have veteran Will Blackmon at safety. Hall spent his first 12 seasons at corner before moving to safety midway through the 2015 season.
"There will come a point where I'm not able to play and I'm just too old or too slow or too banged up," Hall said. "While I can still play, I want to go out and play.
"I don't know where I fit in yet, and I don't know if they know where I fit in yet. But I know when I'm healthy, I can help us win."