ALLEN PARK, Mich. — The Detroit Lions have signed wide receiver Calvin Johnson to an eight-year contract worth up to $132 million, the biggest deal in NFL history.
The player’s agent, Bus Cook, said the contract announced Wednesday is worth $60 million guaranteed. That figure and the total value of the contract are NFL records.
Johnson helped Detroit reach the playoffs last season for the first time in a dozen years. The Lions have built one of the league’s most exciting young teams by drafting Johnson in 2007, quarterback Matthew Stafford two years later and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh in 2010. The challenge now will be keeping all those stars long term.
Johnson, nicknamed Megatron, is a two-time Pro Bowler and his 45 touchdowns receiving are the most in the NFL since 2008. He signed a six-year deal worth up to $64 million after Detroit drafted him No. 2 overall in 2007, and was entering the final year of that contract.
This extension starts immediately and runs through the 2019 season.
Eagles sign Jackson to a five-year contract
DeSean Jackson got his wish after all.
Jackson agreed to a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles on Wednesday. The deal is worth $51 million, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because terms weren’t officially announced.
The two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver already was tagged as the franchise player, meaning he would have earned at least $9.4 million next season. Now, he gets the long-term security he sought last year.
“We are thrilled to be able to keep one of the NFL’s top playmakers in Philadelphia,” Eagles coach Andy Reid said. “DeSean is a game breaker. He has the speed and ability to score from anywhere on the field, and he has proven himself to be a big threat for our offense.”
Jackson has career totals of 229 receptions, 4,085 yards and 21 touchdowns in four years. He also has three rushing scores and a franchise-record four punt return touchdowns, as well.
Cowboys land QB Orton, add Carr to secondary
The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to deals with quarterback Kyle Orton and cornerback Brandon Carr.
Orton, who finished last season in Kansas City after being released by Denver, has agreed to a three-year deal to be Tony Romo’s backup. Upgrading the secondary was a primary goal for the Cowboys in free agency. Carr agreed to a five-year deal after playing his first four NFL seasons with the Chiefs.
Around the league
• BUCS: Tampa Bay signed All-Pro guard Carl Nicks and cornerback Eric Wright to five-year contracts. Nicks was one of the key blockers for Drew Brees on the Saints’ record-setting offense. He’s considered one of the best pass blockers in the NFL. Wright, a five-year veteran, was with the Lions last season after spending four years in Cleveland.
• 49ERS: Cornerback Carlos Rogers is returning to San Francisco on a $31.3 million, four-year contract, the Associated Press reported. The 30-year-old Rogers, a former Redskin, shared the team lead with six interceptions last season for the NFC West champion 49ers, who now have their 11 defensive starters intact heading toward 2012.
• VIKINGS: Minnesota signed John Carlson to a five-year deal, bringing the tight end back to his home state. The 27-year-old Carlson spent his first four seasons with the Seattle Seahawks. But he missed all of last season after needing shoulder surgery.
• EAGLES: Trent Cole agreed on a four-year contract extension through 2017. Cole is a two-time Pro Bowl selection who ranks third on the team’s all-time list for sacks with 68.
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