The week before the Super Bowl typically is calm in terms of transactions. However, NFL teams were very active this year, with three big-money contract extensions signed. Four moves are discussed below and, as always, the rest of the transactions are down below with some of the more significant ones highlighted in red. Please note that since Calvin Johnson hasn’t actually come out and said he is retiring, that move isn’t discussed here.
Philadelphia Eagles re-sign OT Lane Johnson
After signing two tight ends to contract extensions last week, Philadelphia was right back at it this week, signing their starting right tackle to a new contract.
With one year left on Johnson’s rookie contract, he signed a five-year extension worth a total of $63 million (including his remaining one year) with $35.5 million guaranteed.
This contract would shatter the record for the highest-paid right tackle in the NFL. The 25-year-old played right tackle the past three seasons, but his future in Philadelphia appears to be at left tackle.
Left tackle Jason Peters is 34 and coming off a season with multiple injuries. Despite a high cap hit, he is expected to return. However, his future with the team beyond 2o16 is murky.
Johnson may not move over to left tackle next season, but he is expected to in the future. Just looking at the contract numbers would tell you that the Eagles value him like a left tackle.
The fourth overall pick of the 2013 NFL Draft has developed nicely for Philadelphia, and he now has a high-paying contract to prove it.
Kansas City Chiefs re-sign TE Travis Kelce
As mentioned last week, the 2013 tight end class was about to see plenty of contract extensions after Zach Ertz re-signed with Philadelphia.
Kelce, Tyler Eifert and Jordan Reed were the other tight ends mentioned.
By signing a five-year contract extension worth $46 million with $20 million guaranteed, Kelce quickly topped Ertz’s contract.
Kelce, 26, missed his entire rookie season with a knee injury, but quickly rebounded to become one of the best tight ends in the NFL. In two seasons he has caught 139 passes for 1,737 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In 2015, he finished eighth in receptions for tight ends (72) and sixth in receiving yards (875). He added another 14 catches for 151 yards in two postseason games.
Kansas City’s offense lacked a quality receiver in 2014. This resulted in Kelce leading the team in receptions and receiving yards. With the addition of Jeremy Maclin for 2015, Kelce became the No. 2 option in the passing game.
Kelce signed his contract extension at the Pro Bowl, where he made his first career appearance.
DE Justin Tuck retires
After 11 seasons in the NFL, Tuck, 32, announced his retirement from the league.
A third-round selection in 2005 out of Notre Dame by the New York Giants, he spent the first nine seasons of his career in the Big Apple before finishing his career in Oakland.
He played an important part in the Giants victories in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI. He recorded a total of four sacks in the two Super Bowls (two in each). This makes him the only player to record multiple sacks in multiple Super Bowls.
In New York, he earned two All-Pro nominations and Pro Bowl appearances (2008 and 2010). These were his two best seasons in terms of total sacks, as he took down opposing quarterbacks 12 and 11.5 times, respectively. He went over double-digit sacks two other times in his career (2007 and 2013).
His 60.5 sacks with the Giants are the sixth most in franchise history.
He only played in five games this season for Oakland due to a torn pectoral.
Tuck will always be remembered by Giants’ fans for the integral role he played in bringing two Lombardi Trophies to the franchise.
Philadelphia Eagles re-sign DE Vinny Curry
Philadelphia handed out four contract extensions in the past two weeks, but this is the only one that went to a player who is an impending free agent.
Curry, 27, signed a five-year extension worth $47.25 million with $23 million in guaranteed money.
This is a lot of money for a player who has never started a game in his career. However, Curry has been a productive role player and is set to have a much bigger role in the team’s new 4-3 defense.
Misplaced in a 3-4 defense, the 2012 second round pick recorded 16.5 sacks in the past three seasons, including nine in 2014.
New defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz will employ his 4-3 defense in Philadelphia. Two of the biggest beneficiaries of this change are defensive tackle Fletcher Cox––another Eagle in line for a new deal––and Curry.
Curry will be a defensive end in the new scheme, and he is now one of the highest-paid players at the position.
It is a risk to give this much money to a player who has only been a role player up to this point in his career, but the best is yet to come for Curry.
Other Moves:
The Arizona Cardinals re-sign TE Darren Fells.
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