“I’m super happy and excited to be back with my teammates for the next six years”.
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“I’m proud of how we’ve handled this situation and give credit to everyone on our staff who helped get this done”.
And with it all said and done, here’s what Elway, Miller and head coach Gary Kubiak had to say about the historic deal.
Elway bolstered the offer over the last week and now the man who nearly single-handedly destroyed Carolina’s championship dreams will lead Denver’s title defense that begins September 8 against those Panthers. About two hours before the 4 p.m. EDT deadline, the cornerstone of the league’s best defense accepted the Broncos’ blockbuster offer and tweeted a photo of himself in his orange No. 58 jersey with the caption “For Life”. But the Broncos initially offered less guaranteed money overall and sought to largely spread those guarantees over the first three years of the deal. The deal also makes him the highest-paid defender in the history of the National Football League, though the Broncos are sure to make a chunk of it back in fart fines. Miller will get a $23 million signing bonus and $42 million guaranteed.
“It has been a challenging 18 months and I have made the hard decision to no longer proceed with the legal process”, the New England Patriots quarterback said in a Facebook post. “I am so appreciative and grateful for this opportunity”.
Miller, franchise tagged by the Broncos in February, received a huge payday after a long and at times contentious stand-off with the Super Bowl champions. Brady’s only remaining hope to take the field when the Patriots open the season against Arizona on September 11 had been a stay from the nation’s highest court, which accepts about 1 percent of the appeals submitted. His 2013 campaign was rough one as he was suspended six games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy, along with tearning his right ACL near the seasons end. Jimmy Garoppolo, who has spent the last two years as the backup, is expected to start for New England instead. Griffin was released this offseason and signed by the Cleveland Browns.
The NFL Network reported that Wilkerson’s deal is for five years and approximately $85 million. He will be eligible to return to the 49ers’ active roster October 3. Miller was unhappy that details of an offer he rejected in June were leaked to the media, and he responded by saying he would refuse to play under the franchise tag, a threat that represented his only real leverage.
In this photo taken January 10, 2016, Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) looks up and the scoreboard after scoring a touchdown on a quarterback keeper during the second half of an NFL wild card playoff football game.
Bills tackle Cordy Glenn signed an extension earlier in the offseason while the Panthers rescinded the tag they placed on cornerback Josh Norman, who has since signed with the Redskins. The agreement is for 6 years/4.5 million, $70 million of which is guaranteed.
The Broncos and Miller faced a Friday deadline for franchise players to sign long-term deals before the 2016 season.
The Redskins did not sign their own franchise tag recipient, quarterback Kirk Cousins, to a long-term deal.
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Tucker and the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year contract, announced late Friday afternoon by the team.
