As Super Bowl MVPs go, Patriots receiver Julian Edelman isn’t cashing in, per se. But he has still added a significant boost to what he would have earned in 2019.
Under his prior deal, Edelman had a $2 million base salary, a $500,000 workout bonus, and up to $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses for 2019. His new deal adds $18 million over two new years, via Tom Curran of NBC Sports Boston.
The deal, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.com, includes an $8 million signing bonus and $12 million in guaranteed money. Per Curran, Edelman’s base salary for 2019 drops to $1 million, pushing his cash flow to at least $9 million in 2019.
The rest of the details are unclear. As to new money, the deal is worth $9 million per year. Factoring in what he was due to earn in 2019, the deal has a $7 million annual average.
The adjustment reward Edelman for a career that has featured solid regular-season play but historic postseason efforts. With 1,412 career playoff receiving yards, Edelman ranks No. 2 on the all-time list to Jerry Rice, who gained 2,245 yards.
Still, even under the new-money average of $9 million, Edelman doesn’t even land in the top 20 among all NFL receivers.