Brandon Pettigrew agrees to four-year deal with Lions

Brandon Pettigrew watch has come to an end. Rumors swirled on Thursday about Pettigrew potentially landing with the New York Jets, Oakland Raiders or even Kansas City Chiefs, but he ultimately decided to stay with the Detroit Lions by agreeing to a new four-year deal, according to the Free Press' Dave Birkett.

Pettigrew's contract, which will be made official after he takes a physical on Friday, is worth a total of $16 million, $8 million of which is guaranteed. That seems like a lot for a player who has been pretty inconsistent over his career, but considering the lack of options at tight end and the amount of interest he generated, that's actually not too bad of a deal for the Lions.

With Pettigrew back in the fold, tight end could very well be set for the Lions. Pettigrew will continue to serve as a starter, and he will continue to see action both as a blocker and as a target in the passing game. Joseph Fauria, meanwhile, should get a much bigger role in the offense this year, and Michael Williams should also get a chance to play after spending his rookie season on injured reserve.

I know a lot of fans were more than ready for Pettigrew to depart considering he has struggled with drops and fumbles since joining the Lions in 2009, but the team made it a priority to re-sign him. He did perform a bit better last season despite his numbers being down across the board, and the potential is definitely there. Hopefully the new offensive coaching staff will be able to get the most out of him considering he's set to make an average of $4 million a season.