The Jets fronted Antonio Cromartie $500,000 of his 2010 salary to help him clean up his lingering paternity issues, a person close to Cromartie told The Post last night.
Cromartie, 25, who’s due to make $1.7 million this season in the final year of his five-year, $12 million contract, has some outstanding paternity payments to make.
Because players don’t begin collecting on their salary until the first week of the regular season, Cromartie needed money now to make the payments he needs to make.
That’s when the Jets stepped in and helped, according to a report that originated from the NFL Network.
A Jets spokesman, reached last night, said the team doesn’t comment on player contracts, and it would not confirm or deny this unusual measure it’s taken.
But the person close to Cromartie praised the Jets for their help.
“This is his unfortunate burden and he’s taking care of it,” the person said, referring to Cromartie’s child-support issues. “He’s got some time constraints on payments and [the Jets] did help him out with that. They’ve certainly helped with everything and that’s going to make life easier for him.”
The day after the Jets traded for Cromartie, Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum talked about being supportive of their new cornerback, who has the significant burden of supporting seven children by six different mothers in five different states.
“We’re looking forward to him having a fresh start here with us and we’re going to work with Antonio collaboratively to make sure we can do everything we can organizationally to give him the best chance to be successful,” Tannenbaum said. “We’re looking forward to working together in that partnership.”
Tannenbaum and the Jets already have backed those words up.
During a Friday conference call with reporters, Cromartie spoke of how he had to clear up his paternity issues before he can report to the start of the offseason program on March 22.
“I have seven kids in five different states,” Cromartie said. “I made some wrong decisions my first two years in the NFL, and now I have to take that responsibility to be a father.
“I need to deal with my kids and child-support issues,” he added. “Those things are being taken care of. I’m going to be the best father to them that I can.”
Cromartie has a court date in California later this month.
Tannenbaum on Friday said the cornerback “has some work to do” and needs to “tie up some loose ends” before he can report to the Jets’ offseason-conditioning program.
Cromartie said Friday the child-support issues will not be a distraction.
“It won’t impact my focus on the field,” he said. “I can separate my personal life and off-field issues from football.”