Less than a week after placing the franchise tag on defensive tackle Justin Madubuike, the Baltimore Ravens and former Texas A&M Aggie have agreed to terms on a deal.
The Ravens and Madubuike agreed to a four-year, $98 million extension Friday evening. Adam Schefter was first on the news. The deal includes over $70 million in guarantees and over $50 million at signing.
"Justin is one of the best defensive tackles in the entire NFL and a cornerstone on our defense," Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta said regarding the new deal.
On Saturday, the details of the deal were released:
- Signing bonus: $25 million (due within 10 days of signing)
- 2024 base salary: $6 million, fully guaranteed
- 2025 option bonus: $15 million, fully guaranteed
- 2025 base salary: $7.5 million, fully guaranteed
- 2026 base salary: $22 million, guaranteed for injury at signing and fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the 2025 league year
- 2027 roster bonus: $4 million, due on the first day of the league year
- 2027 base salary: $18.5 million
The agreement includes $53.5 million in fully guaranteed money with another $22 million that also becomes guaranteed after the first season. More than half of the contract is fully guaranteed at signing and another 77 percent is guaranteed after Year 1.
The payout is $31 million through one season, $53.5 million through Year 2, $75.5 million after Year 3 and $98 million after Year 4. Had the team played him with the tag for the next two seasons, Madubuike would've made $48.62 million.
The contract makes him the second highest-paid defensive tackle in the league behind the Los Angeles Rams' Aaron Donald.
Madubuike, 26, is coming off a career year where the Texas A&M product tallied 13 sacks - an impressive number for an interior defensive lineman. He, along with other top veterans like linebacker Patrick Queen were set to hit the free agent market this offseason with Baltimore's minimal cap numbers.
Now, following his tag and a subsequent long-term deal, Madubuike will be staying with Raven's Flock throughout his prime years.
An added bonus to locking up the Pro Bowl player is that the Ravens also lower his expected $22 million cap hit for the 2024 offseason - a number that would've stood had the two sides not come to an agreement.
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