The Cincinnati Bengals have signed linebacker Vontaze Burfict to a three-year contract extension that ties him to the team through 2017.
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Burfict will get $9.6 million in cash up front and will be paid among the top seven inside linebackers in the NFL over the final two seasons of the deal, according to Cincinnati.com.
Burfict led the NFL with 171 tackles in 2013 and was a Pro Bowl selection in his second year as an undrafted free agent out of Arizona State.
Burfict fell into an interesting loophole in the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement as it pertains to players on their first contract. Drafted players have to wait three years to renegotiate, but there are no restrictions on when an undrafted player can rework or extend his deal.
"“Vontaze is a special talent; he has shown us that from his first day here,” coach Marvin Lewis said. “He is a load physically and he’s extremely competitive, but what really makes him stand out is the instinct and feel he has for the game. It’s something born in him, you can’t coach a player to naturally react the way he does in all situations. This signing is a great move for the future of our defense.”"
Burfict, however, was not the typical undrafted free agent when he was not selected in 2012. He was a first-round talent who had a laundry basket full of red flags that included failing a drug test at the scouting combine, followed by a poor performance on the field and with the media at the combine and capped by a bad pro day.
Burfict wound up getting no visits or workouts with teams before the draft but the Bengals took a flyer on him.
He wound up starting 14 of 16 games as a rookie and finished the season with 127 tackles.
Last season, in addition to the league-leading tackle total, he had three sacks, an interception, six pass break-ups, a forced fumble and scored a touchdown on a fumble return.
"“It’s unusual to sign a player this early in his career to a contract extension, but Vontaze is a player who merits this,” Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn said. “He has proven to be an exceptional find for us and we are happy to reward him now for his accomplishments. It’s good for him and good for our team.”"