DeAndre Hopkins Signs Record Contract Extension
The devil is in the details and many of those will be revealed in the coming days, but the overall numbers have been reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport on a two-year contract extension for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. The Cardinals later confirmed the signing with a press release.
Based on dollars only in the extension, it is being characterized as the highest non-quarterback contract in league history, with an average per-year value of $27.25 million.
The total value of the extension is $54.5 million that includes $42.75 million guaranteed at signing. Added to the three years on the contract that came with him from the Houston Texans, the deal keeps Hopkins under contract through 2024.
Hopkins recently parted with agent Todd France and essentially negotiated the deal himself with the help of a business advisor.
Those three years were worth $39.15 million with non-guaranteed base salaries of $12.5 million, $13.5 million and $13.915 million.
It is unknown yet whether any of those base salaries have been reduced for salary-cap purposes or what his cap charge will be for 2020. Prior to the deal, his cap figure for this year was $12.5 million.
One thing now known is that $27.5 million of the fully guaranteed money at signing is in a signing bonus. That total will be prorated in the salary cap each year, so the yearly cap charge will be $5.5 million.
If all of the $39.15 million remains intact, that would translate to $94.415 million, making the overall average $18.88 million.
Additionally, the final year of the contract is voidable and it includes a no-trade clause, along with the Cardinals not being able to place the franchise tag on Hopkins when the contract expires.
Pro Football Talk reported that the voidable year is worth $14.915 million, which would make the deal a one-year, $39.585 extension and the four years worth $79.5 million ($19.875 million average).
Stay tuned for all details when they become known. This story will be updated.
Photo: Arizona Cardinals
