Lions cornerback Darius Slay was due to make $976,269 this year. He’ll do slightly better than that.
Per a source with knowledge of the situation, the Lions have signed Slay to a four-year extension with a value of $50.2 million. He also receives $23 million fully guaranteed at signing.
The deal puts Slay under contract through 2020, at a total value of more than $51 million.
His original four-year contract as a second-round draft pick was worth $5.2 million. So it’s safe to say he has taken a step up.
The move keeps Slay from becoming a free agent in March, shifting the risk of injury and ineffectiveness from player to team in 2016.
Slay has started every game the past two seasons for the Lions. He said last month that he hoped to have a new deal in place before the start of the season.
“I’m a top guy, that’s it,” Slay said. “I ain’t no real cocky guy like that, but I’m just confident in my game and what I put on film. I’ve been very, very productive for the past two years. Every year I has got better, so I feel like this year is going to be the best year and I’m going to make that.”
He’s now a key part of the Lions defense moving into 2016 and beyond.
