Myles Garrett’s contract extension with the Cleveland Browns contains $ 100 million in total guarantees, most paid to a defensive player, according to league sources, with $ 50 million guaranteed upon signing.
The Browns star running back signed the five-year extension that set a record on Wednesday. The team did not disclose the financial terms, but sources told ESPN that the deal is worth $ 125 million, with the average salary of $ 25 million also a record for a defensive player.
The Chicago Bears’ Khalil Mack was previously the league’s highest-paid defensive player on average salary ($ 23 million) and guaranteed money ($ 90 million).
The extension will keep the 2017 No. 1 overall pick under contract in Cleveland during the 2026 season. The 24-year-old Garrett entered the offseason with two years remaining on his rookie contract after the Browns chose his fifth option year.
“In 2017, the Cleveland Browns bet on me,” Garrett said in a statement issued by the team. “This city quickly became my home and these people quickly became my family. I am eternally grateful for this opportunity, the support of my friends and family, the organization, my teammates, the fans. It could go on forever, but it wouldn’t even be enough time to express my gratitude. I’ll just say this: keep betting on me, Cleveland, because I won’t let you down. Now, let’s go to work. “
Garrett has been one of the NFL’s most dominant passing runners since joining the league, ranking fourth in the league in catches per game (0.82) for three seasons.
He was suspended the last six games of last season for hitting Mason Rudolph of Pittsburgh with the quarterback’s helmet during a late-game skirmish by his teams on November 14. Before that, he had 10 sacks in 10 games. The NFL reinstated Garrett in February.
The Browns’ most recent first-round pick signed to an extension was cornerback Joe Haden, who was selected in 2010.
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