The Las Vegas Raiders and two-time All-Pro punter AJ Cole have agreed to a four-year, $15.8 million contract extension, including $11 million guaranteed, according to a report from NFL insider Jordan Schultz.
Cole had one year remaining on his existing deal, and is now locked in for the next five seasons as the highest paid punter in the NFL.
Cole averaged 50.8 yards per punt last season, the third such season of averaging 50 yards or more per punt. He has been with the franchise since they were in Oakland in 2019.
The Raider confirmed the deal to Schultz on Monday.
"There was a point where I thought football might be over," Cole told Schultz, referring to when he went undrafted out of NC State in 2019. "After the draft, doubt started to creep in. I went into the Raiders rookie tryout thinking, ‘These might be the last three days of football I ever get.’ So I enjoyed every second—and I’ve been doing that for six years now. ... Being the last Oakland Raider and the first Vegas punter means a lot to me. The history at this position in this organization is unlike anything else—and the fans really get it.
"I love the organization, I love the fans and I love Las Vegas. I told my agents: I want to be here for a long time. I want to play until I’m 40. I want to play forever.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Raiders, All-Pro Punter AJ Cole Agree to Lucrative Contract Extension.
