San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was one of the season’s biggest pending free agents. Now, he’s one of the league’s highest-paid corners.
Lenoir agreed to a five-year, $92 million contract extension with the Niners on Tuesday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
With a rookie contract that was set to expire at the end of this season, Lenoir became one of 12 cornerbacks in the NFL to receive a salary above $15 million, per OverTheCap. Most of those players are a bit different from Lenoir though, as he works primarily as a slot cornerback.
The Niners moved Lenoir to the slot last season, and he turned into an instant star. It was an unlikely story given that Lenoir had zero experience at the position and is one of the NFL’s heavier corners at a listed 200 pounds, but he excelled with 84 combined tackles, 10 passes defended and three interceptions.
He also made use of that size in the middle of the defense.
Pro Football Focus ranked Lenoir as the 23rd-best cornerback in the NFL last season and 41st this season.
It’s a nice payday for a former fifth-round draft pick out of Oregon, who topped out with second-team All-Pac-12 honors. Lenoir becomes the latest star to get paid on one of the most talented rosters in the NFL, though the Niners have struggled with injuries this season and sit a half-game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC West at 5-4.