Saints right tackle Ryan Ramczyk has agreed to a five-year extension worth up to $96 million, a person with knowledge of the situation said.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on Wednesday because the new contract for the 2019 All-Pro offensive lineman has not been announced. The person said the new contract, which runs through 2026 and was first reported by ESPN, guarantees Ramczyk $60 million.
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The 6-foot-6, 314-pound Ramczyk was a late first-round draft choice out of Wisconsin in 2017. The 27-year-old has started 63 regular-season games in his four NFL seasons.
Extending Ramczyk was among New Orleans' offseason priorities because he was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent next year.
The deal makes Ramzcyk among the highest-paid linemen in the NFL and helps the Saints secure one of their top blockers for the long term at a time when they are making a transition at quarterback.
With Drew Brees, the NFL's all-time leader in yards passing, having retired after last season, New Orleans enters training camp with a quarterback competition between 2020 backups Jameis Winston and Taysom Hill.
But the Saints also still have several prominent players with uncertain futures beyond 2021.
Left tackle Terron Armstead, who is entering his ninth season, is scheduled to become a free agent next season.
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The Saints have placed their franchise tag for this season on safety Marcus Williams, a second-round pick in 2017, and have until July 15 to reach a long-term extension with him.
Marshon Lattimore, the club's first of two first-round selections in 2017, is entering his final season under contract in a year when New Orleans has seen depth at that position thinned by the loss of one starting cornerback — Janoris Jenkins — in free agency.