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Like many of his franchise-tagged teammates before him, linebacker LaMarr Woodley received a long-term contract from the Pittsburgh Steelers, signing a six-year, $61.5 million pact, a league source said Friday.
Woodley, who received the tag in February, will make $18.1 million in the first year of the contract and $27 million in the first two years. It's the second-richest contract in team history and exceeds the six-year, $51.75 million deal that fellow Steelers linebacker James Harrison signed last year.
The Steelers later announced the deal, which runs through the 2016 season, after Woodley posted a Facebook photo of himself looking over the contract paperwork. He also wrote on Twitter: "Wanted yall 2 hear it from me 1st- Drafted here... super bowl here.. will retire here!! now time to get u this 7th trophy!!!! thank u 2 the rooney family, my family, teammates, agent, and all of u!! P.S.-STEELER 4 LIFE!!!!!!"
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The Steelers have a history of giving long-term deals to players on whom they used the franchise tag. They tagged offensive tackle Max Starks in 2009, then signed him to a four-year deal four months later. Last year, they were ready to use the designation on nose tackle Casey Hampton but instead signed him to a three-year deal and tagged kicker Jeff Reed.
This time, it was Woodley, whose 35 sacks since 2008 rank fourth in the NFL. He's also one of just five players (Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware) to post double-digit sacks in each of the last three years.
Woodley, 26, has spent four seasons in Pittsburgh, which selected him in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl in the 2008 season and made the Pro Bowl the next year. He had a $550,000 base salary last season, when he posted 10 sacks and helped his team reach the Super Bowl.
Woodley's new deal came four days after it was learned that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had agreed to restructure his contract to help the team get under the NFL's $120.4 million salary cap.
Ryan Tollner, Roethlisberger's agent, said Monday the Steelers approached the two-time Super Bowl winner about reworking his deal, but he added that it wouldn't affect the length or the money involved in the eight-year, $102 million contract the quarterback signed in 2008.
The Steelers entered training camp about $10 million over the cap and last week released veterans Starks, Flozell Adams and Antwaan Randle El to shed payroll.
NFL Network's Albert Breer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Woodley, who received the tag in February, will make $18.1 million in the first year of the contract and $27 million in the first two years. It's the second-richest contract in team history and exceeds the six-year, $51.75 million deal that fellow Steelers linebacker James Harrison signed last year.
The Steelers later announced the deal, which runs through the 2016 season, after Woodley posted a Facebook photo of himself looking over the contract paperwork. He also wrote on Twitter: "Wanted yall 2 hear it from me 1st- Drafted here... super bowl here.. will retire here!! now time to get u this 7th trophy!!!! thank u 2 the rooney family, my family, teammates, agent, and all of u!! P.S.-STEELER 4 LIFE!!!!!!"
Unlock HQ Video HQ video delivered by Akamai
The Steelers have a history of giving long-term deals to players on whom they used the franchise tag. They tagged offensive tackle Max Starks in 2009, then signed him to a four-year deal four months later. Last year, they were ready to use the designation on nose tackle Casey Hampton but instead signed him to a three-year deal and tagged kicker Jeff Reed.
This time, it was Woodley, whose 35 sacks since 2008 rank fourth in the NFL. He's also one of just five players (Harrison, Dwight Freeney, Jared Allen, DeMarcus Ware) to post double-digit sacks in each of the last three years.
Woodley, 26, has spent four seasons in Pittsburgh, which selected him in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He helped the Steelers win the Super Bowl in the 2008 season and made the Pro Bowl the next year. He had a $550,000 base salary last season, when he posted 10 sacks and helped his team reach the Super Bowl.
Woodley's new deal came four days after it was learned that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger had agreed to restructure his contract to help the team get under the NFL's $120.4 million salary cap.
Ryan Tollner, Roethlisberger's agent, said Monday the Steelers approached the two-time Super Bowl winner about reworking his deal, but he added that it wouldn't affect the length or the money involved in the eight-year, $102 million contract the quarterback signed in 2008.
The Steelers entered training camp about $10 million over the cap and last week released veterans Starks, Flozell Adams and Antwaan Randle El to shed payroll.
NFL Network's Albert Breer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
glad this is done. i would have hated to see him go
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