Aaron Hernandez Legal Team Discussing How Abatement Impacts Patriots Contract

Aaron Hernandez's attorney, Jose Baez, said Tuesday that he is in discussions with the late NFL star's former agents to determine how the abatement of his murder conviction could impact his past contract with the New England Patriots. 

As seen in the following video courtesy of TMZ Sports, Baez said he is uncertain if the abatement will change his contract situation or Hernandez's family's ability to collect on his NFL pension:

Hernandez's conviction in the 2013 murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd was vacated Tuesday due to a Massachusetts law allowing for such a decision if a person dies before their appeal process fully plays out, per CNN.com's Eric Levenson and Holly Yan.

The former Patriots tight end was found dead in his prison cell on April 19 after hanging himself. He was serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

Hernandez was released by the Patriots in 2013 after being charged with Lloyd's murder, but according to TMZ Sports, in theory, the abatement could force the Pats into paying the roughly $6 million left on Hernandez's contract.

Baez was also asked about the idea of whether Hernandez's suicide was something he planned in an effort to have the Patriots pay off his contract to his fiance, Shayanna Jenkins-Hernandez, and their daughter.

In response to that, Baez said, "I don't give it any shred of credibility at this point."

Hernandez's suicide note to Jenkins was released last week, and in it, he wrote, "You're rich," per Erik Ortiz of NBC News.

That led to speculation regarding his Patriots contract and how an abatement would potentially alter its status.

Prior to his death, Hernandez was found not guilty in the 2012 shooting deaths of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.