After agreeing with the San Francisco 49ers on acquiring quarterback Alex Smith in a trade late February, the Kansas City Chiefs made sure they had a legitimate target for the veteran signal caller to throw to by signing wide receiver Dwayne Bowe, according to the team’s press release Monday. Reportedly, Bowe’s contract will span five years.
Photo Credit: KCChiefs.com
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The following details of his deal have just been revealed by Pro Football Talk:
- $15 million signing bonus.
- $750,000 fully-guaranteed base salary in 2013.
- $250,000 workout bonus in each year of the deal.
- $8.75 million base salary in 2014, $4.25 million of which is fully guaranteed now and $4.5 million of which is guaranteed for injury only now. The $4.5 million becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2014 league year.
- $10.75 million base salary in 2015. $1.5 million is guaranteed for injury now, and it becomes fully guaranteed on the third day of the 2014 (not 2015) league year.
- $9.75 million base salary in 2016.
- $9.75 million base salary in 2017.
This all adds up to $36 million over the first three years and $56 million over five seasons. Of the guaranteed $26 million, $20 million is fully guaranteed right now, with the other $6 million becoming fully guaranteed in 2014.
Bowe now becomes the third highest-paid player at the position behind Calvin Johnson and Larry Fitzgerald.
The team also signed punter Dustin Colquitt to an extension and placed the franchise tag on offensive tackle Branden Albert.
Other than making sure a solid quarterback would be suiting up on the field next season, Bowe was the organization’s top priority and placing the franchise tag on him for the second year in a row was not an option.
“When we first arrived, one of the first items on our agenda was signing Dwayne,” said Chiefs’ general manager John Dorsey in a released statement. “He’s been a key player on our offense and is one of the premier players at his position. We are pleased that Dwayne will be a member of this team for years to come.”
Bowe missed the Chiefs’ final three games of the regular season last year, due to a rib injury which placed him on injury reserve. Despite the team’s poor outing in 2012, Bowe managed to bring in 59 catches for 801 yards with three touchdowns.
A former first round pick (No. 23 overall in 2007), Bowe has led the Chiefs in receptions and receiving yards in each of the past four seasons, including his breakout, Pro Bowl year in 2010 when caught 72 passes for 1,162 yards with 15 TDs.
The 6-2, 221-pound wide out has played in 88 games (82 starts) and registered 415 receptions for 5,728 yards with 39 touchdowns for the Chiefs and new head coach Andy Reid is looking forward in working with his premier receiver.
“We’re excited to have Dwayne on the roster for the long term,” said Reid in a released statement. “Dwayne’s a big, physical receiver who has had success in this league. He is part of the Chiefs family, and it was important to him to remain in Kansas City. I’m looking forward to working with Dwayne.”
The Florida native is happy to remain a Chief.
“I’m very blessed to be a member of the Kansas City Chiefs,” said Bowe in a statement. “The Hunt family and the fan base have been very supportive over the years, and I am looking forward to working with John and Coach Reid in the near future. I’m excited to continue my career with the Chiefs and hopefully help this team reach our goals.”
The terms of Colquitt’s extension was not disclosed by the Chiefs, but the punter’s deal, reportedly, is worth $18.75 million over five years, including $8.9 million guaranteed, which would make him the highest paid player in his position.
“We are excited that we were able to come to a long-term agreement with Dustin and keep him in Kansas City,” said Dorsey in a released statement. “Dustin is an elite punter in this league, he’s done a great job for this franchise the past eight seasons, and we are looking forward to working with him.”
Field positioning is key in the NFL, and with Dustin booting balls deep in opponent’s territory is a huge advantage for their special teams—and their defense. The 6-3, 210-pound punter has nailed 55 touchbacks and placed 250 balls inside the 20 and holds a career net average of 39.1 yards for his career.
In 2012, Colquitt pinned Chiefs’ opponents inside their own 20-yard line 45 times, the second-best mark in NFL history and earned his first trip to the Pro Bowl.
“John and I knew right away that we’d like to keep Dustin in a Chiefs uniform,” said Reid in a released statement. “He’s worked hard at his craft and has become one of the best punters in the NFL. He’s got a strong leg and the ability to pin opponents deep in their own territory. We are happy we were able to come to an agreement.”
In five seasons with the Chiefs, Albert helped stream rolled defenders to make way for Pro Bowl running back Jamaal Charles to rush for three 1,000-yard seasons. Since Albert’s arrival in 2008 when he was the No. 15 overall pick in that year’s NFL Draft, the Chiefs averaged 133.2 rushing yards per contest.
“Today was the league’s deadline to designate a franchise player and we felt it was in the best interest of the Kansas City Chiefs to place the tag on Branden,” said Dorsey in a released statement. “We will continue to negotiate with Branden and his agent to reach a deal that is mutually beneficial. We are looking forward to working with Branden in the near future.”
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