Bucs’ McCoy lands extension at $13.5M a year

Gerald McCoy, 93, will continue to be a rich man. (USATSI)

In league history, there's only been one defensive player who's broken the $100 million contract mark -- Texans linebacker J.J. Watt.

Buccaneers defensive tackle Gerald McCoy has gotten awfully close to that nine-figure barrier.

CBS Sports' Jason La Canfora has confirmed that McCoy has signed a seven-year deal worth an average of $13.5 million per season. Fox Sports' Jay Glazer was the first to report Saturday that McCoy had signed an extension worth nearly $100 million. NFL.com reports that the deal is worth $98 million with $51.5 million guaranteed. Watt had been guaranteed $51.876 million.

Not surprisingly, McCoy looked happy after signing his new deal.

Confirming @JayGlazer's tweet, the #Bucs & @Geraldini93 have agreed to terms on a long-term extension! #BucForLife pic.twitter.com/dk78ZXOTlk

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@TBBuccaneers) October 25, 2014

As La Canfora reported last month, the two sides were getting close to a new deal. As La Canfora wrote then, "McCoy is, without question, the face of the franchise. The Bucs don't have anyone to whom they still owe big chunks of money. They have about $30M in cap space next season and roughly $58M for 2016 projections, sources said, and have almost no players with big signing bonuses, either. So their cap prorations on their best players are manageable and all are essentially on year-to-year deals and easily released without cash or cap ramifications. They're well-positioned to take on a huge contract."

On the season, McCoy has 17 tackles and two sacks in five games.

Said Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht: “From the moment Lovie [Smith] and I arrived here, we knew it was vital for us to keep Gerald in Tampa Bay long term as one of the cornerstones of our franchise ... On the field, Gerald is one of the best players in the National Football League, who has been extremely productive and will be for years to come. We are happy to reward someone that has a rare work ethic, which not only makes him an elite player, but serves as an example for our entire team. His commitment, character and leadership are attributes that make him a truly special person, who will play a pivotal role in our future success.”

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