This wasn’t the way it was supposed to end for a two-time Super Bowl winner and the MVP in 2007 and 2011. The feeling I get, though, is that the contract to the end of June is almost a loyalty payment. Kearney has on every level been brilliant for the IRFU, so what is an extra eight months’ pay? An injury to Daniel Jones meant Eli had to work for his $1m ‘thank you very much’ loyalty payment last weekend. Kearney still has a body of work to do for his province before he heads off into the sunset.

Source: Irish Independent December 21, 2019 21:00 UTC