After a 14-day hold-in, Derwin James became the highest-paid safety in the NFL on Wednesday, surpassing Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick when he signed a contract extension with the Chargers.
James’ deal is for four years worth $76.4 million, with an average of $19.1 million per year, including $42 million guaranteed.
James earning this paycheck is no surprise, as he has proven to be one of the best players at his position since 2018 when he was a Pro Bowler during his rookie season.
A chess piece on the field, James has proven to execute a variety of tasks on the field at a high level, whether it’s covering the opposing team’s top skill players, stopping the run, or pressuring quarterbacks.
Along with that, James is the vocal leader of the team. He has a great sense of when things aren’t going right and when he does need to pick his teammates up.
James is coming off an impressive 2021 season in which he amassed a career-high 118 tackles, two interceptions, two sacks and three forced fumbles in 15 games. That came after he was limited to five games in 2019 and missed all of 2020 due to injuries.
