Initial reports on a new contract for San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir made it clear the team got a good deal on their 25-year-old breakout star.
Additional numbers provided by Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports paint an even better picture for the 49ers in the deal.
Jones reported Lenoir’s five-year deal is worth $88.8 million. The original report said it was $92 million. That puts the average annual value at $17.76 million. Lenoir still lands as the No. 12 highest-paid CB in terms of average annual value.
The numbers that matter in NFL contracts are the guarantees, and Lenoir inked a deal for just $15.5 million guaranteed at signing according to Jones’s numbers. That’s a bargain for San Francisco. Denver Broncos Patrick Surtain II is in a tier above Lenoir, but his new deal landed him $40.7 million guaranteed at signing. Chicago Bears CB Jaylon Johnson got $43.8 million guaranteed at signing.
Jones also notes Lenoir’s contract includes $43.3 million guaranteed for injury.
Overall this deal won’t do much to impact the 49ers’ ability to fit a top-of-market contract for quarterback Brock Purdy in the offseason when he becomes eligible for an extension. It also helps San Francisco shore up its secondary with an ascending star at an extremely affordable price. If these are the final numbers, the 49ers got a steal.
Update
A further breakdown of the contract was published by Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio.
According to Florio, “only 17 percent of Lenoir’s deal is fully guaranteed at signing; that’s the smallest full-guaranteed portion for any cornerback making more than $2 million per year.”
