A look at Penei Sewell's contract extension with the Lions

It was inevitable, and having the fifth-year option to use allowed for it not to have to necessarily happen quickly. But the Detroit Lions took care of business the day before the draft, signing offensive tackle Penei Sewell to a reported four-year contract extension worth $112 million with $85 million guaranteed. The deal will make him the highest-paid offensive lineman in the league.

NFL insider Albert Breer added that the Lions picked up Sewell's fifth-year option, and the extension is tacked onto that. So including 2024, it's a six-year commitment in total. It's not a shock the Lions have committed to Sewell for so long, as he enters his age-24 season and is arguably (maybe inarguably) the best right tackle in the league.

But the actual details of Sewell's could be revealing, in terms of the actual commitment it is. So let's take a look.

A deeper look at Penei Sewell's massive new contract with the Lions

Via Over The Cap, Spotrac and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, here's a year-by-year look at Sewell's new contract. Updated on May 3, 2024, with void year details.

2024
Base salary: $1.446 million (fully guaranteed)
Total signing bonus proration: $6,721,649 ($3 million of new signing bonus)
Cap number: $8,167,885

2025
Base salary: $1.54 million (fully guaranteed on March 18, 2025)
Signing bonus proration: $3 million
Option bonus proration: $5 million
Cap number: $9.54 million

Sewell's $19.040 million fifth-year option appears to have been folded into his contract extension and distributed throughout.

2026
Base salary: $19.9 million (becomes fully guaranteed in March 2025)
Signing bonus proration: $3 million
Option bonus proration: $5 million
Workout bonus: $100,000
Cap number: $28 million

2027
Base salary: $23.9 million ($12.113 million becomes fully guaranteed on March 18, 2026, $10 million more becomes guaranteed on March 18, 2027)
Signing bonus proration: $3 million
Option bonus proration: $5 million
Workout bonus: $100,000
Cap number: $32 million

2028
Base salary: $25.9 million
Signing bonus proration: $3 million
Option bonus proration: $5 million
Workout bonus: $100,000
Cap number: $34 million

2029
Base salary: $19.4 million
Roster bonus: $2.5 million
Option bonus proration: $5 million
Workout bonus: $100,000
Cap number: $27 million

2030
Void year, contract voids on fifth day after the Super Bowl

Sewell is getting a $15 million signing bonus and a $25 million option bonus, both of course fully guaranteed at signing. Add in the 2024 and 2025 base salaries, and it's $42.986 million guaranteed at signing. The $19.9 million base salary for 2026 pushes the practical guarantees to $62.886 million. Add in $22.113 million in 2027 salary that becomes guaranteed in two pieces, and we get to $85 million guaranteed. It's unlikely the Lions cut him before March 18, 2026, so the practical guarantees could easily be called $75 million, and there's a strong case for $85 million practically guaranteed.

Sewell's new money average is $28 million, which puts him a good bit ahead of the pack at offensive tackle in that respect.