Bucs Give Sapp $36 Million Extension

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

March 18, 1998 / 6:18 PM EST / CBS Sportsline

Warren Sapp signed the richest deal for a defensive player in NFL history Wednesday with a contract extension with Tampa Bay worth just over $36 million.

The six-year agreement, which includes a signing bonus of more than $8 million, eclipses the total value of a deal free agent Dana Stubblefield received from the Washington Redskins last month by $50,000.

It makes Sapp, 25, the second highest-paid defensive player in average annual salary behind Minnesota's John Randle, an unrestricted free agent who got $32.5 million over five years to remain with the Vikings.

Randle, who got a $10 million signing bonus, will earn an average of $6.5 million per season. Sapp's deal averages just over $6 million per year.

The Bucs, who had about $11.3 million remaining under the salary cap, had a self-imposed deadline of this week to reach a deal with the Pro Bowl tackle or let him play the final season of a four-year contract for the $1.1 million he was scheduled to earn in 1998.

"Extending Warren's contract was our number one off-season priority," Bucs general manager Rich McKay said. "It's nice to have it out of the way."

Agent Drew Rosenhaus said Sapp would receive about $20 million in the first three years of the contract, including base salaries of $1.95 million for 1998, $2.5 million in 1999 and $5.5 million in 2000.

The signing bonus is $50,000 more than Studdlefield received from the Redskins, but nearly $2 million less than the Vikings gave Randle.

"It's the highest contract extension ever awarded, the highest signing bonus ever given to a contract extension. The Buccaneers did a great job of getting it done. ... It's amazing that for a guy who had a year left on his contract, he got a free agent contract."

Sapp, who would become a free agent next season, emerged as one of the NFL's top defensive linemen last season. He had 101/2 sacks during the regular season, then added three more during a playoff loss to Green Bay in helping the Bucs compile their best record (11-7) since 1979.

Last week, the Bucs made Tony Dungy one of the NFL's highest-paid coaches with a contract extension through 2002 at an annual salary of about $1.3 million.