NY Giants add a sweetener to Markus Golden’s contract
The NY Giants have officially locked up Markus Golden for 2020 and even kicked in a little sweetener on top.
While it’s not the short-term contract extension I was hoping for, the NY Giants did right by Markus Golden – in about the most minor way possible, but still – as they reportedly added about $1M in potential earned incentives (via NJ.com) on top of Golden’s one year tender that’s worth $4.1M AKA 110% of his 2019 salary.
Ian Rapoport is also confirming that $5.1M number.
#Giants OLB Markus Golden has officially signed his 1-year, roughly $5.1M contract, source said. With the UFA tender, his salary was set, as was his eventual destination. After 10 sacks in 2019, he’s back with NYG on another prove-it deal.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 4, 2020
Markus Golden had almost no leverage once the NY Giants attempted and executed in signing him via the rarely-used UFA (unrestricted free agent) tender, which seemed like a longshot at first only to develop just as Big Blue had hoped for when they made the move all the way back on May 5th.
It’s truly unbelievable to me that there wasn’t another NFL team out there willing to beat the 1/$4.1M Markus Golden is slated to earned, guaranteed, from the NY Giants but their loss is our gain.
Golden has to be wondering what in the world he has to do to sign any sort of contract extension, as Spotrac had him valued at $13.5M and he has put up two double-digit sack seasons in five seasons despite missing almost an entire one of those seasons due to injury.
Injuries may have played a factor in the cool market, although I find that silly as he’s shown he bounced back from the ACL injury in 2017, collecting 10 sacks in his second year back from the injury — typically when players return to normal form.
Golden also battled ankle injuries in 2018 limiting him to 11 games, but again, he more than proved he was back to full strength in 2019 with the NY Giants as racking up 10 sacks on that defense was no easy task.
The former Missouri Tiger surely was looking to get paid while he was still on the right side of 30, but if he just keeps his head down, keeps grinding and puts up another double-digit sack year the NFL simply won’t be able to deny him again in 2021 (I think)?
Analytics outlets like Pro Football Focus are all well and good, but sacks still matter.