QB gets record $15 million bonus
Cards give Plummer 4-year, $29.7 million extension
Posted: Monday December 21, 1998 08:49 PM
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Hardly a pipe dream: Jake Plummer's deal includes a $15 million signing bonus, the largest in NFL history
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TEMPE, Arizona (AP) -- Arizona Cardinals
quarterback Jake
Plummer signed a contract extension Monday morning that will pay him
$29.7 million over the next four years.
The Arizona Cardinals, who pushed to renegotiate the second-year star's
contract, gave Plummer a $15 million signing bonus -- the largest in
football history. Dallas gave Deion Sanders $12.999
million when he agreed with them.
The first year of the extension supersedes the third year of Plummer's
three-year rookie contract, which was worth $1.6 million and guarantees the
Cardinals the rights to Plummer through 2002.
"This package puts him a few dollars behind Steve Young as the
highest-paid quarterback in the game," agent Leigh Steinberg said.
The announcement came less than 24 hours after Plummer directed a
last-minute scoring drive that Chris Jacke capped with a
field goal to beat the New
Orleans Saints 19-17.
It was the eighth time in Plummer's 25-game career that he has led the
Cardinals to victory when they were tied or trailed in the fourth quarter,
and left him 8-2 in those situations.
The Cardinals allowed fans at team headquarters to buy tickets to attend
the news conference. Plummer has been a local hero since he led Arizona
State to the Rose Bowl after the 1996 season, and he was cheered wildly
when he appeared.
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"This is the 1998 Cardinals Christmas present to fans," team owner Bill
Bidwill said.
Plummer, who has the team 8-7 and on an inside track for the final NFC
wild-card playoff spot, is playing this season for a base of $302,000, one
of the lowest salaries of any NFL starting quarterback.
But Plummer said he never thought about his money in relation to others.
"I was a 23-year-old making a good salary," he said. "Right now I'm glad to
be in the upper echelon of quarterbacks, and I'm happy."
He will receive $2 million salary in 1999, in addition to $11.25 million of
the signing bonus, $3 million in 2000, $4 million in 2001 and $5.7 million
in the final year. There are no incentives.
Steinberg said the contract was worked out without Plummer's participation
because Plummer wanted to concentrate on football. He had to fill him in on
the details.
Part of the windfall will benefit children and senior citizens. Plummer
plans to spend more than $1 million to start the Arizona-based Plummer
Foundation for abused and ill children and Alzheimer's research.
He also will donate $250,000 to Bidwill's favorite charity.
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