Mike Silver of NFL Media reports that the Falcons and RB Devonta Freeman have agreed to a five-year, $41.25 million extension on Wednesday. According to Silver, this contract will make Freeman the NFL’s highest-paid running back.
- According to Ian Rapoport, Freeman’s new contract includes $22 million guaranteed, a $15 million signing bonus and $26 million over the first three years of the agreement.
The Falcons have already announced the deal:
“We are very pleased that we were able to get this extension done,” General Manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “Devonta embodies everything we are looking for in a Falcon, and we are proud that he’ll be able to spend his career here in Atlanta.”
“This is where I’ve always wanted to be,” Freeman said. “I want to thank Mr. Blank, Thomas and Coach Quinn for all of their support. I feel extremely blessed, but the work and grind are just beginning.”
It’s been clear for several months now that the two parties were likely going to have an extension in place before the start of the season and it looks like they were able to hammer out the details even before they played their first preseason game.
Freeman, 25, is a former fourth-round pick of the Falcons back in 2014. He’s currently in the final year of his four-year, $2.7 million contract and stands to make a base salary of $1.838 million for the 2017 season.
In 2016, Freeman appeared in all 16 games for the Falcons and rushed for 1,079 yards on 227 carries (4.8 YPC) to go along with 54 receptions for 462 yards receiving and 13 total touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 11 running back out of 62 qualifying players.
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