Outside linebacker Vontaze Burfict has agreed to a four-year, $20 million extension that will make him a Cincinnati Bengal through 2017, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.
Vontaze Burfict, Bengals agree to $20 million extension
The league’s leading tackler from a year ago has received a new deal in Cincinnati.
Andy Lyons
Burfict, who led the league with 171 total tackles and earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2013, will earn $7.6 million this season.
Burfict’s $5 million average annual salary now ranks 17th among NFL outside linebackers, which may seem rather team friendly for an emerging young star fresh off a Pro Bowl selection. But it matches up well with his grade at Pro Football Reference, which ranked him as the 14th best 4-3 outside backer in 2013.
The former undrafted free agent likely isn’t complaining. Burfict was scheduled to make just $570,000 in the final year of his rookie deal.
Bengals blog Cincy Jungle notes that the Burfict is the latest of a solid core group of players to be locked down:
The Bengals tend to like to get these extensions done around this time of year. Last year, they inked defensive linemen Carlos Dunlap and Geno Atkins to mega-deals, quarterback Andy Dalton’s was done during this year’s Training Camp and now Burfict is completed. If that’s not a nucleus of a team, I don’t know what is.
Say what you want, but this team’s front office is doing an excellent job of keeping its core players together. Wide receiver A.J. Green might be next up for a deal, but for now, savor this one, Bengals fans.
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