NFL notebook: Niners, Garoppolo agree to record deal

[February 09, 2018]  The San Francisco 49ers and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo have agreed to a five-year, $137.5 million contract Thursday that makes him the highest-paid player in NFL history on an average-per-year basis, according to multiple reports.

NFL.com was first to report the news of the signing, and the deal will include the largest three-year cash total for a new contract in NFL history at just less than $90 million, according to ESPN.com. Garoppolo will be set to earn an NFL-record average of $27.5 million per season, topping the $27 million Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford earns annually.

That's a hefty raise from the $820,077 base salary he played for in 2017. The 26-year-old had been scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next month.

Garoppolo was acquired from the New England Patriots midseason in 2017 in exchange for a second-round pick. He took over the starting job four weeks later and went on to complete 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,560 yards, seven touchdowns and five interceptions while winning all five of his starts.

--Doug Pederson walked the parade route with the Lombardi Trophy in hand and offering hordes of fans lining the streets of Philadelphia a championship moment of their own.

The Eagles' head coach and players, many of whom rode through crowded streets in trucks and open-air double-decker busses, were flanked by fans who had arrived along the parade route as much as nine hours before the festivities began Thursday morning.

CBS News reported the City of Philadelphia estimated about 2 million fans were along the parade route to see players and families pass by in a fleet of four busses.

--Two of the masterminds behind the Eagles' offense could be fleeing the nest.

Offensive coordinator Frank Reich is scheduled to interview to become head coach of the Indianapolis Colts, and quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo will interview with the Minnesota Vikings to become offensive coordinator.

DeFilippo's contract expired at the end of the season. The Eagles would likely promote DeFilippo to offensive coordinator if Reich became head coach of the Colts, but the timing of any potential offer could be critical for Philadelphia's stability.

--The Kansas City Chiefs ended Darrelle Revis' brief association with the franchise in a simple way on Thursday.

"We have released CB Darrelle Revis," the team tweeted.

 

The move comes just 2 1/2 months after the 32-year-old Revis signed a two-year contract with the Chiefs. The cornerback played in five late-season games and had 11 tackles and also played in the postseason loss to the Tennessee Titans.

--Pittsburgh Steelers team president Art Rooney II wants the franchise to look into new contracts to secure the future of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Le'Veon Bell.

Roethlisberger, 35, hinted last offseason that he might not play much longer. He flourished in the final seven games of the 2017 regular season and said after the season he's locked in for the future. He's signed for two more seasons, but Roethlisberger said he now wants to play several more seasons.

"We haven't had a long conversation about that other than him saying he is interested in playing beyond his contract," Rooney said. "That's good news to me, and certainly his play this year makes you feel like he does have a few years left. All that is great in terms of the contract. We'll address that at the right time. But bottom line is we're excited that's the way he feels and we'll continue to work with him and hopefully get a couple more rings with him."

Bell played under the franchise tag in 2017, earning a one-year salary of $12.1 million.

--Carolina Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers underwent surgery on his right shoulder Thursday, the team announced.

Peppers, who turned 38 three weeks ago, wrote on social media that "everything went smooth and I'm recovering well."

The 16-year veteran wore a shoulder brace at times last season but didn't miss a game in his first season back in Carolina since 2009. He led the Panthers with 11 sacks despite playing just 50 percent of the defensive snaps. Peppers' contract expired after the season, and he has yet to say whether he plans to return for another campaign.

--Field Level Media

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