The Green Bay Packers have signed safety Morgan Burnett to a four-year contract extension.
Ian Rapoport says it’s a four-year extension worth $24.75 million and includes a $8.25 million in guaranteed money. Burnett can make up to $26 million with incentives and he’ll get $15 million over the first two years of the deal.
Burnett was entering the final season of his rookie deal and was scheduled to make $1.3 million this season.
The new deal will keep Burnett with the Packers through 2017. When it’s all said and done, the contract will average a little over $5.2 million per season.
That will make Burnett the 11th highest-paid safety in the league based on average salary. And that’s probably good enough for a guy who hasn’t been to a Pro Bowl.
Burnett did lead the Packers in tackles in 2012, though, with 123. Troy Polamalu is the league’s highest-paid safety at an average of $9.125 million per season.
However, most guys ahead of Burnett on the average salary list are older. Burnett is just 24 and should be entering his prime. He’s started all 16 games the past two seasons.
In 2012, he added two sacks, two forced fumbles and two picks to those 123 tackles.
Once the numbers are crunched, the Packers will likely have around $8 million in salary cap space left.