Tryon Becomes an $11 Million Man After Signing his NFL Contract
Joe Tryon showed up as a kid from Renton, Washington, who wasn't heavily recruited and, in fact, he initially committed to Washington State. But after the University of Washington persuaded him to stay close to home, he made himself a football player worthy of a huge investment.
On Tuesday, the former Husky edge rusher turned Tampa Bay Buccaneers' No. 1 draft pick made his NFL dream official by signing a fairly lucrative first contract.
The 6-foot-5, 262-pound Tryon put his signature on a four-year deal worth $11.171 million, which includes a signing bonus of $5,484,540, several Florida news outlets reported. He will receive a $660,000 base salary for the 2021 season, which will gradually increase to slightly more than $2.1 million by 2024.
"I just locked it in, man," he said in a video shot in the Tampa Bay locker room. "Four years. Going to be a great time. Excited to be a Buc. It's official now. Let's go."
With his earnings, Tryon, ever the family man, has said he will pay for his sister Julia's medical school bills at the University of Washington.
The Bucs drafted Tryon, a second-team All-Pac-12 selection in 2019, as the 32nd overall and final pick of the first round in April.
His contract signing comes a week after former UW teammate Levi Onwuzurike completed the paperwork on a four-year deal worth $8.1 million, including a $3.3 million signing bonus, with the Detroit Lions. Onwuzurike was the 41st player taken in the draft, going in the second round.
That's $19.2 million worth of talent that started side by side on the Husky defensive front.
Tryon hasn't played in a regulation football game for 18 months after opting out of the Huskies' fall season during the height of the pandemic.
He missed Tampa Bay's rookie minicamp and OTAs after undergoing a minor knee procedure in early May, but he was able to take part in mandatory minicamp, taking reps with both the first-team and second-team defenses.
He impressed his bosses and he's ready to show that he's worth all of that NFL money.
“Well, he definitely passes the eye test," Bucs outside linebackers coach Larry Foote said. "Just watching him on film, the guy is 6-5, he can bend, he can move. He’s got a great motor, plays with high energy, and just his DNA jumps off the tape."
Concurrred Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians, "He's everything we thought he would be."
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