Report: Buccaneers, Winfield Jr. agree on four-year, $84.1M deal
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. have reached an agreement on a four-year, $84.1 million deal, making him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.
At $21.025 million per year, Winfield Jr. beats out Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander ($21M), Cleveland Browns CB Denzel Ward ($20.1M), and Miami Dolphins' Jalen Ramsey ($20M) as the league's highest paid defensive back.
The 25-year-old named a First-Team All-Pro last season, recording three interceptions, six forced fumbles, six sacks, and 122 total tackles in 17 games.
"[Winfield had] one of the best seasons I've seen a safety have as an all-around player, and it wasn't just in the game -- it was in practice as well," coach Todd Bowles said at the NFL scouting combine. "He was the only guy -- even if we were practicing red zone -- if he picked the ball off at the 5[-yard line], he's going to run 95 yards and go back in the game. He's not going to take himself out and go to the water buckets. If he picked it off in the end zone, he ran 100 yards. Wherever he picked the ball at or caused the fumble at, he transferred practice to the game ... almost better than anybody I've been around the past couple years."
Winfield Jr. was originally drafted in the second round (45th overall) by the Buccaneers in the 2020 NFL Draft and was a member of the Super Bowl winning team as a rookie.
The Minnesota product has seven interceptions, 15 sacks, and 384 tackles over his four-year career with the Buccaneers.
More to come.