Wide receiver Calvin Johnson has agreed to a seven-year extension with the Detroit Lions that will keep him under contract through 2019. The extension will give Johnson the distinction of being the highest paid non-quarterback in all of football. Here's what it is reportedly worth:
Filed to ESPN: Lions reached agreement with WR Calvin Johnson on a seven-year, $132 million extension that includes $60 million guaranteed.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 14, 2012
It goes without saying, but that is a monster deal. By comparison, when quarterback Matthew Stafford entered the NFL in 2009, he signed a six-year deal worth up to $78 million that included $41.75 million guaranteed. Johnson's new deal is going to give him almost $20 million more guaranteed.
While this is a huge contract, the expectation is for it to drop his cap number for 2012. Considering how little cap space the Lions had, that is really the most important aspect of this extension. The Lions should actually have some cap space to work with, hopefully allowing them to go re-sign Stephen Tulloch and some of their other free agents.