The Jacksonville Jaguars are currently making moves to retain impending free agents, inking C.J. Beathard and JaMycal Hasty to new deals and reportedly deciding to use the franchise tag on Evan Engram.
But the team also made it a priority to extend defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris, who wasn’t due to become a free agent until the 2024 offseason.
Initially reported as a three-year, $30 million extension when it was signed over the weekend, details of the contract were revealed Wednesday and they showed a deal much more in the Jaguars’ favor.
Both Spotrac and Over The Cap revealed that the contract was actually a three-year, $21.6 million extension for Robertson-Harris.
Some good notes from Over The Cap on the Roy Robertson-Harris deal at $21.6M/3 years. pic.twitter.com/os6BS7QIf7
— Cardiac Cats (@cardiacatsbrand) March 1, 2023
While the defensive lineman was due to count more than $10 million against the team’s salary cap in 2023, his new cap hit for the upcoming year is $5,833,334.
Still, it’s a raise for Robertson-Harris, who was previously set to take home $7.8 million in base salary and bonuses for the 2023 season, and is now set to make $9.5 million.
About two-thirds of the deal ($14.4 million) of the deal is fully guaranteed, including a $4 million option bonus due to Robertson-Harris in 2024.
While the Jaguars could save money by cutting Robertson-Harris after the 2024 or 2025 seasons, it would be minimal savings. The defensive lineman is due to count $8.9 million against the cap in 2025 and $9.1 million in 2026. The Jaguars could save $1.2 million and $3.7 million in cap space those years, respectively, by parting with Robertson-Harris.
Robertson-Harris has two addition years on his deal for the 2027 and 2028 years that will automatically void. Those extra seasons on the deal help the Jaguars spread out the bonuses for the lineman, but also mean the team will carry $3.1 million in dead money in 2027.
