Detroit Lions WR Calvin Johnson signs $ 132 million contract with franchise - NFL News
Wide receiver, Calvin Johnson, has spent five brilliant years with the Detroit Lions helping the franchise get back on its feet after the ignominy of going an entire season 0-16 in 2008 to back into the playoffs last season.
The Lions would not have reached those highs in such a short amount of time without Johnson and have now rewarded the wide receiver with a contract that makes him the highest paid player in his position in the entire league.
Detroit on Wednesday, announced that Johnson has signed a new eight-year deal worth an eye watering $ 132 million to stay with the franchise till 2019.
The contract also gives Johnson around $ 60 million in guaranteed money and his new deal puts the last record belonging to Arizona Cardinals wide receiver, Larry Fitzgerald, who signed an eight-year deal worth $ 120 million last year firmly in the back seat.
The 26-year-old affectionately named by Lions fans as “Megatron” addressed the press in a conference after signing his new deal.
Talking to the media Johnson said that.
"I'm so comfortable here now. At first, not at all, but being here for five years, being around these people here in Detroit, teammates and just the city -- I'm just growing accustomed to it."
Adding further he said that Detroit has everything he needs including a brilliant quarterback in Matthew Stafford.
"When you're fortunate to have a good quarterback, those don't come by a lot in the league. How many teams are looking for a No. 1 quarterback right now? I would have to be beside myself to leave here."
Coach Jim Schwartz who was present at the conference praised Johnson’s abilities and said that he is worth every single cent.
"Calvin's one of those guys -- we've said this about a few guys that we have in our building -- whatever they pay him is not enough. He's truly a special player."
Johnson put up some amazing statistics in the last season as he helped Detroit reach the playoff rounds for the first time since 1999.
He made 95 receptions in 2011-12 as he put up the league’s highest receiving yards for the season with 1,681 while also scoring a mammoth 16 touchdowns.
With the Lions trio of Johnson, Stafford and defensive tackle, Ndamukong Suh, kept together for another year, Detroit will hope that they would build on the progress made last year for another run at the playoffs and maybe even beyond that in 2012-13.
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