The Eagles had re-signed Derek Barnett to a two-year deal last offseason with the intent of building a very deep defensive line.
While the latter certainly worked out, the former did not. Barnett was placed on season-ending IR in September and appeared in just one game for the Birds.
He returns to the Eagles front this year and they are hopeful that his added pressure off the bench will help to make a big rotation of guys who never let opposing offenses take a break.
On Thursday, the Eagles reworked their deal with Barnett.
Eagles DE Derek Barnett has agreed to a restructured contract, as he was previously due a $7.5M salary ($1.5M guaranteed) with up to $1M in per-game bonuses (max value $8.5M).
He’s now due a $3.5M guaranteed salary, with $250K in per-game bonuses and up to $2.25M in incentives…
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) July 27, 2023
The deal now guarantees Barnett $3.5 instead of $1.5 million on the year. At the same time, it reduces the maximum value of the contract from $8.5 to $6 million.
It’s a good deal for an oft-injured player who ensures he gets more money regardless of how much he plays.
For the Birds, they are betting on Barnett’s health. If he is able to make all his bonuses and plays in each game, he won’t be making as much and that could grant Philadelphia a bit of cap relief in future years.
Barnett is currently set to be a free agent at the end of the season.
He’s appeared in 70 games (including playoffs) for the Eagles over his six years with the team. In that time he’s registered 23 sacks and 156 tackles.
A first-round pick that season, he also famously secured the strip-sack fumble for Philly in Super Bowl LII.
