Veteran wide receiver Eddie Kennison, who abruptly walked out on the Denver Broncos halfway through the 2001 season, has been ordered by an arbitrator to repay the franchise more than $400,000 of the signing bonus that he received from the team that spring.

The ruling, which could serve as precedent for similar cases in which players do not honor contracts, concludes a strange tale that began when Kennison left the Broncos the night before a Nov. 11, 2001 game against San Diego.

Various sources suggested Kennison told them his heart was no longer in the game. He declined to return to the Broncos, was subsequently released and then signed later in the season with the Kansas City Chiefs. Denver officials sought relief, in terms of repayment of a prorated share of a $500,000 bonus Kennison received that spring as part of a three-year, $6.85 million contract.

Kennison, 30, played in eight games for the Broncos, and had 15 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown, falling far shy of the team's expectations. After his release, he played five games for the Chiefs, and last spring signed a lucrative new contract with Kansas City.

That deal is for six years, worth $14.8 million, and includes a signing bonus of $3.2 million.

The ruling by the arbitrator should end the legal maneuverings in the case, since it is believed Kennison has no appeals remaining. The wrangling in the Kennison case stretched on for more than a year.

The seven-year veteran will be required to repay about $415,000, an amount that will be credited back to Denver's salary cap for this season. Since the club is only about $1.4 million under the 2003 spending limit, the rebate is much welcomed by Broncos officials.