Brock Wright contract details show it was easy for Lions to match offer sheet

The San Francisco 49ers pulled a surprising move a week ago when the news came they had signed Detroit Lions tight end Brock Wright to a three-year offer sheet. Reports had the total deal worth $12 million, with $6 million guaranteed.

In terms of the Lions' willingness to match the offer sheet, the devil would be in the details. On Wednesday, the deadline for them to match it and keep Wright, they did so. Wright is clearly valued as the No. 2 tight end behind Sam LaPorta, and with more than 1,000 snaps over the last two seasons he has been a key piece of the offense.

Now. via Over The Cap, we have the details of Wright's contract.

Brock Wright contract details made it easy decision for Lions to match offer sheet

Wright's new deal provides him multi-year security and guaranteed money the RFA tender the Lions gave him did not have. Which is of course why he signed the offer sheet from the 49ers. Rather than the reported $6 million in guarantees, it's actually $4.6 million fully guaranteed including a $3.545 million signing bonus.

2024:
$1,055 million base salary (fully guaranteed)
$709,000 (signing bonus proration)
$50,000 workout bonus
Cap Number: $1.764 million

2025:
$1.17 million base salary
$709,000 (signing bonus proration)
$445,000 option bonus
$255,000 roster bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
Cap Number: $2.629 million

2026:
$3.310 million base salary
$709.000 (signing bonus proration)
$445,000 option bonus
$340,000 roster bonus
$50,000 workout bonus
Cap Number: $4.854 million ($2.127 million in dead money if he's cut)

2027 and 2028:
$709,000 (signing bonus proration)
$445,000 option bonus both years
$1.418 million in dead money in 2027

2029:
$445,000 option bonus

This is a firm commitment for the next two years, with void years spreading the signing bonus cap implications out about as far as possible. The usage of non-guaranteed option, roster and workout bonuses reduces the overall financial burden while assuring Wright will be motivated to keep earning his spot (which wasn't likely a real issue anyway). Everything after 2027 is moot, due to the void years and the automatic acceleration of the last two years of signing bonus proration onto that year's balance sheet.

Combining the dead money hit in Year 3 with the first two years, it's a little more than half ($6.52 million) over three years compared to the initially reported $12 million. That isn't a revelation to find out, but it's another reminder of the PR spin on contracts reporters often end up doing for agents.

This ultimately worked out nicely for both sides. Wright gets some security, financially and job-wise. And the Lions retain a key part of their tight end depth.