Washington Redskins have signed outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan to a five-year deal worth $57.5m (£36.8m).
The new contract pays Kerrigan $11.5m (£7.4m) per year, making him the third-highest paid outside linebacker in the NFL behind Justin Houston and Clay Matthews.
The team have been working on an extension since May, and Kerrigan is keen to repay the faith shown in him by the Redskins.
He told the team's website: "To get to a moment like this where you get a chance to play out the rest of your NFL career with the team that drafted you, the team that you love, the city that you love, it hasn't really hit me yet, but it's an awesome feeling."
The 26-year-old had a career-high 13.5 sacks in 2014 and was behind only Houston in quarterback hurries with 51.
