It took over seven years, but the astronomical contract the Detroit Lions paid Calvin Johnson is no longer the biggest ever given to a wide receiver. Michael Thomas of the New Orleans Saints signed a 5-year, $100 million extension on Wednesday that vaults him over the Lions great.
Johnson signed a 7-year, $113.5 million contract in March of 2012. That total dollar figure remains unsurpassed by any other wideout, but the latest deal for Thomas has a higher average per season and matches the $60 million in guaranteed value.
Of course, Johnson walked away before the contract ended and did not collect the full amount. The deal was a major albatross on the Lions salary cap situation, as it paired with huge rookie deals for Matthew Stafford and Ndamukong Suh (which were not the team’s fault) to considerably restrict the spending power for free agency under former team president Tom Lewand.
The Lions and Lewand grossly overestimated the market value for wide receivers. It took seven years but the market is finally catching up to Johnson’s lucrative contract.
As for Thomas, he’s one of the bright young receiving stars in the NFL. He led the league with 125 receptions last season, racking up over 1,400 yards and 9 TDs in his third NFL campaign. He has 321 receptions and 3,787 yards in his first three years.
