The Green Bay Packers have been working on a new deal with linebacker Clay Matthews and ESPN is reporting that deal pay him $13 million per season in new money.
That should put Matthews among the highest-paid pass rushers in the league.
When you add the $3 million-plus Matthews is scheduled to make in 2013, that will drop the overall average of the contract. For example, if the Packers give Matthews five more years at $13 million per and you factor in his salary this season, Matthews’ average salary will come in a bit north of $11 million per season.
That puts him in line with the Cowboys’ DeMarcus Ware, who’s largely considered the gold standard for pass-rushing outside linebackers. Ware’s deal pays him an average of $11.1 million.
It will fall short of the $16 million per year average the Buffalo Bills doled out to defensive end Mario Williams last season, though. Of course, that deal was and is pretty idiotic, so it’s hard to use that as a benchmark.
In any case, Matthews is about to get PAID.
When the Packers extend Matthews and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who’s also reportedly close to a new deal, they’ll have more than $30 million per season committed to two guys.