Calvin Johnson gets 7 years, $132 million, $60 million guaranteed
Posted by Michael David Smith on March 14, 2012, 11:13 AM EDT
AP
The Lions were willing to spend whatever it took to lock up wide receiver [URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/4153/calvin-johnson"]Calvin Johnson[/URL] for years to come.
Johnson and the Lions are scheduled to announce a long-term contract extension this afternoon, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that it’s a seven-year deal worth $132 million, with $60 million guaranteed. That makes it the biggest contract in NFL history, surpassing [URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/1661/larry-fitzgerald"]Larry Fitzgerald[/URL]’s contract with the Cardinals.
The Lions’ website pegs the deal as “[URL="http://www.detroitlions.com/news/lions-insider/article-1/Johnson-signs-seven-year-contract/23aed8be-0e65-4551-859f-0a31187b15d8"]a seven-year extension worth close to $130 million[/URL].” The site also says the contract reduces Johnson’s cap hit this year, meaning they’ll have more money available to re-sign linebacker [URL="http://www.rotoworld.com/player/nfl/3936/stephen-tulloch"]Stephen Tulloch[/URL], who now looks like their top priority in free agency.
The $60 million “guarantee” may not be fully guaranteed: As we’ve seen many times with NFL contracts, guarantees can be less than advertised. But Johnson will clearly be among the highest-paid players in NFL history, and as staggering as the numbers look, Johnson is worth it. He’s only 26 years old and coming off a phenomenal season in which he caught 96 passes for 1,681 yards and 16 touchdowns, then turned in a brilliant performance in the playoff loss to the Saints. And Johnson is known as a consummate professional, hard worker and good teammate who doesn’t get in trouble off the field.
This looks like a deal that should make both sides happy.
Bookmarks