Aaron Donald inks record-setting extension
Nearly four years after resetting the non-quarterback market, Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defensive lineman Aaron Donald reset it once again.
Donald signed a two-year, $60 million extension Monday afternoon, according to ESPN‘s Adam Schefter. Donald’s extension rewards him with a $40 million raise through 2024, thus re-making him the highest paid non-quarterback in NFL History, according to NFL.com’s Ian Rapaport.
Donald, 31, is set to make $65 million through 2023 and $95 million through 2024 — when his contract was originally set to expire. He already had three years left on his deal prior to the extension.
Here is the complete breakdown of his deal, according to Pro Football Talk‘s Mike Florio:
1. Signing bonus: $25 million.
2. 2022 base salary: $1.5 million, fully guaranteed.
3. 2022 roster bonus: $5 million, fully guaranteed.
4. 2023 roster bonus: $15 million, fully guaranteed and due on second day of 2023 league year.
5. 2023 base salary: $13.5 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed as of third day of 2023 league year.
6. 2024 roster bonus: $5 million, guaranteed for injury at signing. Fully guaranteed on third day of 2023 league year. With no forfeiture language.
7. 2024 base salary: $30 million, fully guaranteed as of the fifth day of the 2024 league year. It would be paid with $20 million as an option bonus and $10 million as base salary, for cap purposes.
Florio notes that the contract includes a pair of voidable seasons, beginning on the final day of the 2024 league year.
Donald is the now the only defensive player to surpass $30 million per year, too, per Spotrac. The previous-most was Pittsburgh Steelers’ EDGE T.J. Watt ($28.0M per year).
This is well-deserved payday for the now-Super Bowl champion, who’s arguably the best player in the sport. The seven-time first-team All-Pro has won four defensive player of the year awards — the last being in 2020 — recording 98.0 career sacks, 150 tackles-for-loss and 441 combined tackles.
He finished 2022 with a career-high 84 combined tackles to go with 12.5 sacks and 19 tackles-for-loss. The former 13th-overall pick has tallied at least 11 sacks in five straight seasons and at least 14 tackles-for-loss every year of his NFL career.
This is a breaking news story. Stay tuned for updates.
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