Report: Lions agree to 4-year, $25 million deal with TE Jesse James

While the exact details of tight end Jesse James’ contract are still unknown, we now have a general idea of what the Detroit Lions are paying for their newest tight end.

According to a report from Ian Rapoport, the two sides have agreed on a four-year deal worth $25 million.

That comes out to an average of $6.25 million per year, which is the exact deal that the Bills gave fellow free agent tight end Tyler Kroft (three years, $18.75 million).

But perhaps the most important number here is guaranteed money. According to Rapoport, James is only getting $11 million guaranteed on the four-year deal. Considering James is likely to hit that $11 million in cash paid out (depending on his yearly salaries) by his second year, it increases the likelihood that Detroit will be able to get out of the contract by Year 3 with minimal dead cap, if desired.

In terms of average per year, James’ $6.25 million current ranks 15th among all NFL tight ends. With NFL salaries grow annually, there’s a good chance that as soon as next year, James’ contract will drop out of the top 20 entirely.