Kyle Williams’ career season certainly paid off after the Buffalo Bills defensive lineman agreed to a six-year contract extension Friday that is potentially worth $39 million.
The Bills confirmed that the agreement was reached, and a person familiar with the contract provided terms of the deal while speaking on condition of anonymity.
Williams will become one of the NFL’s top-paid defensive lineman, as the extension is similar to the five-year, $40 million deal New England Patriots defensive tackle Vince Wilfork reached in March 2010, the person said. Williams had two years left on his contract, with the extension locking him up through the 2016 season.
He’ll average between $7.5 million and $8.2 million a year depending on if he meets all the contract incentives, the person said.
“He’s real happy to remain a Bill,” Williams’ agent Albert Elias said. “Three contracts in five years shows their commitment to winning, and that’s exciting.”
Williams has been a starter since his rookie season in 2006, when the Bills drafted him in the fifth round out of LSU. He’s been the Bills’ most consistent defensive player and is coming off a season in which he had a team-leading and career-best 51/2 sacks.
That was enough to earn Williams his first Pro Bowl appearance even though he was a member of the NFL’s worst run defense. Selected as a first alternate, he was added to the AFC team to replace injured Oakland Raiders lineman Richard Seymour.
NFL KICKS IN FOR MLK
The NFL is donating $1 million to the new memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. on Washington’s National Mall.
The monument was scheduled to be dedicated Sunday, the 48th anniversary of his “I Have a Dream” speech, but the ceremony was postponed to the fall because of Hurricane Irene.
The contribution from the league and NFL Charities will help the foundation behind the memorial to reach its goal of raising $120 million.
FRIDAY GAMES
Packers 24, at Colts 21: Graham Harrell led Green Bay to 11 points in the final 35 seconds, rallying the defending Super Bowl champs past Indianapolis.
Harrell threw an 11-yard TD pass to Ryan Taylor with 35 seconds left, then hooked up with Taylor again on the 2-point conversion to make it 21-21. After the Packers recovered an onside kick, Harrell set up Mason Crosby for a 50-yard field goal as time expired.
Rams 14, at Chiefs 10: St. Louis quarterback Sam Bradford was 8-for-8 for 76 yards and two touchdowns on his first two series, and the Rams’ defense held Kansas City’s top-ranked rushing attack to just 14 yards on six first-half attempts.
EXTRA POINTS
The Giants and Jets have postponed their exhibition game from today to Monday because of the threat of Hurricane Irene, which was on track to reach the New York area Sunday. … The legal fight between the NFL and its players is officially over after U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson in St. Paul, Minn., issued an order that formally dismissed the antitrust lawsuit brought against the league on March 11 by a group of players that included Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. … The Titans agreed to a contract with receiver Kevin Curtis, an eight-year veteran who has 253 career catches and 20 touchdowns. … The Vikings signed linebacker David Herron to add some depth to a unit that has suffered numerous injuries during the exhibition season.
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