SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Even after a powerful 2023 marketing campaign and a coaching camp during which he was constantly among the finest gamers on the sphere, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was in no rush to signal a big-money contract extension till he may solidify himself as one of many league’s greatest at his place.
Because it turned out, it took solely 9 extra video games for that to occur, as Lenoir and the 49ers reached settlement on a five-year, $92 million contract extension, a supply advised ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.
The deal comes within the midst of a season when Lenoir has emerged as one of many Niners’ greatest — and most versatile — younger gamers, even on a roster with loads of star energy. By these 9 contests, Lenoir has 53 tackles, a pressured fumble and two interceptions. He has allowed a passer score of simply 66.5 when focused as the closest defender, in line with Subsequent Gen Stats.
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Lenoir additionally recovered a blocked subject objective and raced 61 yards for a landing towards the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
He has completed all of that regardless of bouncing between outdoors nook and taking part in within the slot when the Niners go into nickel packages. It is a double responsibility he started taking over towards the tip of the 2022 season earlier than absolutely embracing final season, when he performed 570 snaps at outdoors nook and 311 within the slot, permitting a minus-4.7 EPA (anticipated factors added), 80.1 passer score and only one landing when focused.
Regardless of beginning this season on the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract and the Niners’ need to signal him, Lenoir advised ESPN in August he wasn’t in a rush to signal an extension as a result of he was “on the level the place I am attempting to be one of many prime guys within the NFL so far as the nook place, the nickel place, simply someplace within the prime the place lots of people beginning to acknowledge me and keep in mind my identify.”
When requested about the potential for signing an extension earlier than he would hit free company, Lenoir did not dismiss the concept however made it clear he wished to show he deserved to be paid among the many prime corners within the league.
Lenoir’s new deal averages $18.4 million per season, which locations him twelfth amongst cornerbacks and represents a major pay increase for the 2021 fifth-round select of Oregon. He’s making $3.116 million in base wage this season with a cap cost of $3,187,217.
Whereas the timing of Lenoir’s deal could be a shock, there have been indicators pointing towards the 49ers hoping to get one thing completed earlier than the offseason to allow them to clear the decks for a forthcoming payday for quarterback Brock Purdy.
Coach Kyle Shanahan even appeared to trace on the finish of October that one thing could be brewing.
“He’s precisely what you need a 49er to play like,” Shanahan mentioned then of Lenoir. “He began out rather well, made a pair errors early on as a rookie and misplaced his confidence just a bit bit, I believed, his rookie 12 months. Then that second season, the best way he got here again within the offseason, form of simply possessed to get that job again, and he is form of owned it ever since. He is been a stud for some time to me, and he will get higher annually. He is having a hell of a 12 months.”
Lenoir is the newest in a line of homegrown middle- to late-round draft picks to ink profitable contracts to remain in San Francisco, together with linebacker Fred Warner (third spherical) and tight finish George Kittle and linebacker Dre Greenlaw (fifth-rounders), with Purdy presumably subsequent up.
With Lenoir within the fold, the Niners nonetheless have loads of different big-name gamers set to be unrestricted free brokers within the offseason. It is a record that features fellow beginning cornerback Charvarius Ward, security Talanoa Hufanga, guard Aaron Banks and Greenlaw.
However the Niners made it clear Tuesday that holding Lenoir was a prime precedence.
