Chicago Bears’ Tommie Harris Gets $40M

Blogcasting the National Football League, Blogcasting the NFL

Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris signed a four-year, $40 million contract extension ($10 million up-front and $18 million guaranteed) with the team today. The deal was the richest ever for the Bears in terms of money per year. And unlike other high-profile Bears players who have gone public with their financial displeasures in Chicago (Lance Briggs and Brian Urlacher), Tommie kept his negotiations private and eventually found the deal he was looking for:

“I’m so thankful that I am a Bear and I would love to finish my career here also after this next term. Hopefully we can come back here, smile and talk about it all over again. I’m going to enjoy this four-year extension and I look forward to putting on a great display.”

It was also shocking (and somewhat refreshing) to hear Tommie say that NFL players don’t deserve the exorbitant money they get for playing “a kid’s game.” Along with re-signing defensive end Alex Brown and kicker Robbie Gould this offseason (eight veterans have re-signed with the team this offseason), Tommie’s deal was a no-brainer for the Bears’ front office. He was a three-time Pro Bowler set to enter the final season of the five-year deal he signed as a first-round draft pick in 2004. With this early extension, he’ll now be a Chicago Bear through 2012 and I will expect nothing less than stellar play from one of the best — and most humble — defensive tackles in the NFL.

Source: ChicagoBears.com, Photo: Newscom