Calvin Johnson signs $132-million deal, biggest NFL contract ever

Calvin Johnson has lived up to his larger-than-life nickname on the field. Now he’s being rewarded with the biggest contract in NFL history.

The wide receiver known as Megatron has signed a new eight-year contract worth $132 million, including $60 million guaranteed, to remain with the Detroit Lions through the 2019 season.

The former No. 2 overall draft pick was entering the final year of the six-year deal he signed with Detroit as a rookie in 2007. Under the former deal, Johnson’s contract would have cost the team more than $20 million against their salary cap.

“They were happy to get this thing done with, and I was happy as well,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t a lot of confrontation. We weren’t butting heads or anything. It was just something that we knew needed to get done.”

All indications are that Johnson will be worth the money. He led the league last year with 1,681 receiving yards, was second with 16 touchdown catches and was fourth with 96 receptions, joining Randy Moss and Jerry Rice as the only receivers ever with at least 95 receptions, 1,600 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season.

The 6-foot-5, 235-pound Johnson has 5,872 yards and 49 touchdowns in his four NFL seasons. He joins Rice, Moss, Terrell Owens, Marvin Harrison and Lance Alworth as the only receivers with at least 45 touchdown receptions and 5,000 receiving yards during a four-year span.

He also helped the Lions return to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 and just three years removed from their historically bad 0-16 season.

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