Thursday 9 November 2017 23:53, UK
The Philadelphia Eagles have signed defensive tackle Timmy Jernigan to a four-year contract extension.
According to NFL.com, the deal is worth $48m with $26m in guaranteed money.
Jernigan was acquired by the Eagles in the offseason from the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for a swap of third-round picks.
That deal looks like a great one for Philadelphia as Jernigan has excelled alongside Pro Bowl defensive tackle Fletcher Cox at the heart of the Eagles defensive line.
That defensive line - which also includes an impressive rotation of Brandon Graham, Vinny Curry, Chris Long and Derek Barnett at defensive end - has been a big factor in the Eagles' league-best 8-1 start to the season.
"Since the day he entered the building, Tim has been a difference-maker both on the field and around the building," the team said in a statement.
"He's a tough, physical, and relentless player who brings energy and enthusiasm every day. Tim possesses a lot of the qualities that we look for as we continue to build this team and we are excited about his future here in Philadelphia."
Jernigan has 20 tackles, eight for loss, 1.5 sacks, and five QB hurries this season and Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has been impressed with his development.
"For three years, he had been sort of a lateral, at-the-line-of-scrimmage-type player, and he just fit what we wanted him to do, and he stuck with it. We stuck with him," said Schwartz.
"He's hard to handle now, and a lot of it's because of him attacking. He's an explosive player. He's disruptive. He plays with a lot of energy. The players feed off of him, also."
