FRIDAY, 3:00pm: Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (on Twitter) has the goods on Staley’s contract. The deal adds two option years for a total of $18.8MM and can be worth $23.2MM if he hits certain incentives. The Niners have to decide on Staley’s $6MM option for 2018 on April 1st, 2015 and will decide on the $4MM option for 2019 on April 1st, 2016. The base salaries for both years comes out to $4.8MM (link).
THURSDAY, 4:29pm: The 49ers have added two extra years to left tackle Joe Staley‘s contract, locking him up through the 2019 season, the team announced today in a press release. The offensive lineman’s previous deal ran through 2017.
“In today’s NFL, it is rare for a player to play his entire career with one team,” 49ers general manager Trent Baalke said in a statement. “With this extension, Joe will likely be a 49er for life. He is a three-time All-Pro and core member of our football team. His commitment and professionalism have been great assets to our team and our community. This extension reflects our philosophy of investing in our core players.”
Staley, who turns 30 next month, has started all 98 games he has played for the Niners since entering the league in 2007, and has been the team’s starting left tackle since 2008. The former first-round pick has made the Pro Bowl in each of his last three seasons, and has ranked among the top five tackles in football in each of the last two years according to Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics (subscription required), including first overall in 2012.
While the Niners have a number of other extension candidates to potentially address, including Vernon Davis, Alex Boone, Mike Iupati, and – as I discussed earlier this afternoon – Michael Crabtree, the team had been mulling reworking Staley’s deal for some time. The veteran tackle had been slated to earn just $21.65MM over the next four years, so his new contract will likely come with some bonus money up front. We’ll have to wait for the official numbers to be reported, but the club could also use the new agreement to reduce Staley’s cap hit for this year or next, in order to create some extra flexibility for those other players seeking extensions.