Albert Haynesworth hit the free agent jackpot Friday morning by reaching a seven-year, $100 million deal with the Washington Redskins that could end up maxing out at at $115 million based on his performance, according to sources.
Haynesworth
The deal, which was reached early Friday morning, includes
$41 million in guarantees. During the first 13 months of the contract,
Haynesworth will earn approximately $32 million.His phone almost exploded with opportunities Friday morning when free
agency started. More teams contacted him than expected. During the
first hour, Haynesworth had at least six teams willing to give him more
than $30 million in guarantees. He and his agent, Chad Speck,,
spent several hours reviewing the opportunities before making a
decision. The final choices came down to the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers, the
team that had the most cap room in free agency, and the Redskins, the
team that was the most aggressive. A press conference will be scheduled upon his arrival in Washington.The Titans never came close to signing him. A franchise player whose
trip to the Pro Bowl prohibited the Titans from getting the franchise
tag in 2009, Haynesworth had hoped the Titans would offer him a deal
that would have kept him out of the free agent market. That offer never
materialized even though the team kept talking to him until the start
of free agency. Fittingly, Haynesworth ended up being the first
player to leave a team in free agency in 2009. His deal is one of the
tops in the history of the league.
John Clayton covers the NFL for ESPN.com