The Arizona Cardinals have agreed to a five-year deal with guard Mike Iupati. The contract is expected to be worth $40 million, with $22.5 million in guaranteed money, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Mike Iupati agrees to 5-year deal with Cardinals
Mike Iupati earned a big payday after five seasons in San Francisco.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
The deal is the latest in a string of moves the Cardinals have made in recent years to bolster their offensive line. The team signed left tackle Jared Veldheer to a big contract last offseason. Iupati will now likely line up next to Veldheer, giving the Cardinals a completely remade -- and very talented -- left side.
Iupati was one of two offensive linemen the San Francisco 49ers drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, along with Anthony Davis. Iupati was the No. 17 overall selection and was immediately named a starter in his rookie season. He went on to start all 16 games in each of his first three years, but then missed five games total over the past two seasons due to injuries.
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Regardless, he was a reliable rock on San Francisco's offensive line. The 49ers are known for being a power running team, and Frank Gore liked nothing better than to run behind Iupati, who developed a reputation for being a mauler. Iupati has been consistently great at run blocking for much of his career, though there have been struggles in pass blocking.
2014 was a particularly rough season for Iupati. Not only did he regress somewhat in run blocking, he also regressed big-time in protecting Colin Kaepernick. He was routinely beaten en route to the passer and seemed to miss some assignments. But Iupati has put together four good-to-great seasons and was always destined for a big payday this offseason. He can play either guard spot, but fits best on the left side. It's worth noting he's played his entire career next to Joe Staley, one of the league's best left tackles.
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