Jesse James cashes in with $25 million contract from Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions made an offer that tight end Jesse James couldn’t refuse.
One day after it was revealed that James, a Glassport native and former Penn State player, will leave the Steelers to sign with the Lions, NFL Network reported Tuesday that his contract is worth $25 million over 4 years.
The deal includes $11 million in guaranteed money. Not a bad chunk of change for a former fifth-round draft pick, whose four-year base earnings with the Steelers totaled less than $3.5 million.
The contract cannot be finalized until the start of the new NFL calendar at 4 p.m. Wednesday.
James, 24, caught 30 passes for a career-high 423 yards and two touchdowns in 2019. In four seasons, he never missed a game due to injury.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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