Buccaneers' Antoine Winfield: Gets record-breaking contract

Winfield and the Buccaneers agreed to terms Monday on a four-year, $84.1 million contract Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.

Winfield's contract total of $84.1 million is not only the highest figure for a defensive back in NFL history, but Schefter reports that his deal's $45 million guaranteed his also the largest such sum to be earned by a safety. Tampa Bay placed the $17.1 million franchise tag on Winfield back in March, but that transaction was always a placeholder for long-term negotiations. The Buccaneers will pay a high price to keep the All-Pro safety in town, which is proof of Winfield's position as an irreplaceable pillar of the team's secondary. He piled up a career-high 122 tackles (76 solo) across 17 regular-season games in 2023 to go with six sacks, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and four fumbles recovered.