Dec 30th 2008 9:17AM by Shane Bacon (author feed)
Filed under: Packers, NFC North, NFL RefereesNo, it isn’t really a controversy, but it probably isn’t making Ryan Grant sleep that well.

The running back for the Packers, who has had a mediocre year by his accounts, still had a chance to gain bonuses in his contract for finishing top-5 in yards for all NFC running backs and over 1,250 for the season. Grant had it, but a challenge and subsequent instant replay (by Ed Hochuli, nonetheless) called the 80-yard touchdown back and left Grant 35 yards short of Matt Forte.

The bonus in his contract would have been worth $1.35 million, but Grant finished sixth in rushing and with 1,203 yards on the season.

Grant sounded pretty understandable about the play after the game, even though it cost him more than a million bucks.
“Yeah, that’s the way the ball bounces,” Grant said. “I told (running backs coach Edgar Bennett), ‘If we were playing in your day, that’s a touchdown. No replay.’”
It really was never a play you thought might stand. Grant rolled over a defender but was clearly down and the call came back as a 21-yard gain. No matter, it must be fairly frustrating to know that without those little red flags, Grant could probably send a few kiddos to college (or buy a pink Escalade, one of the two).

Last year Grant ran for 956 yards, so the 1,203 was an upgrade. If he wants to secure that bonus for next season, he could probably improve on his 100-yard games. Grant only had four all season.