Home Trades & Signings Round-Up: Harrison, Thomas, and Leftwich Reach Deals

NCAA Football News

Interviews

Articles & Opinion

Round-Up: Harrison, Thomas, and Leftwich Reach Deals PDF Print E-mail
Trades & Signings
Written by Evan Nuckles   
Tuesday, 14 April 2009 02:16

Transaction ReportThe following is a round-up of the latest signings as reported on NFL.com:

Steelers Give Harrison Record Deal

The Pittsburgh Steelers reached an agreement with outside linebacker James Harrison on a six year, $51.75 million contract, the second largest in the history of the storied franchise as well as in league history for the position.

The reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year (the first un-drafted player in NFL history to win the award) is guaranteed $20 million, more than any other player in team history except for the $36 million guaranteed to quarterback Ben Roethlisberger in an eight-year deal signed last year.

Harrison is coming off an impressive 2008 campaign in which he posted a Steeler-record 16 sacks in 15 games along with a Super Bowl record 100-yard TD interception return which helped the team win their second title in four seasons.

The 30-year-old former Kent State and NFL Europe star was cut by the Steelers and Ravens early in his career, and has started for only two years. Harrison was set to enter the final year of a $5.5 million, four-year contract signed as a backup in 2006 that would have earned him $1.4 million this season.

Zach Thomas Inks Deal with Chiefs

Free-agent linebacker Zach Thomas signed a deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, and is expected to bolster a position of need for the team. Thomas agreed to the one-year, $2 million deal following a 2008 season with the Dallas Cowboys in which the veteran started 14 games and recorded 91 tackles. The 5-foot-11 and 242 pound seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker has started 182 games in his 13-year career, playing mostly with the Miami Dolphins.

Leftwich Signs with Bucs

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers reached an agreement with quarterback Byron Leftwich on a two-year deal. Leftwich will compete for a starting job with Luke McCown, Josh Johnson, and Brian Griese, and opted for the Bucs after visiting with the Redskins and Steelers. A former starter with Jacksonville, Leftwich has mostly played as a back-up with Atlanta and Pittsburgh since being released by the Jaguars in 2007. The move could signal that the team will address needs other than the quarterback position in the upcoming NFL Draft.


 OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK

Comments (0)add
This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comments.

busy
 
 
Banner
Fri., 2/26 - KMOX 1120 AM, St. Louis (8:20pm ET - 5:20pm PT) - Maury Brown on MLB record revenues, revenue-sharing, and Pujols contract talk