Antoine Winfield Jr. becomes highest paid defensive back ever

Antoine Winfield (All-Pro Reels Photography, Wikimedia Commons)

According to ESPN on Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made Antoine Winfield Jr. of Columbus, Ohio the highest paid defensive back in National Football League history. The terms of the deal are four years and $84.1 million in all. This will mean that Winfield Jr. will receive an average of $21.025 million a year between 2024 and 2027.

The contract also has significance because Winfield Jr.’s specific position is safety. It is the first time ever that the highest paid defensive back is a safety.

Winfield Jr. has spent the last four seasons with the Buccaneers. In his rookie season, he was on the Buccaneers team that won the Super Bowl as Tampa Bay beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9. In Super Bowl LV, Winfield Jr. was an impact player for Tampa Bay defensively. He had one interception, two pass deflections, six combined tackles (four solo tackles and two assisted tackles).

This past season, Winfield Jr. led the NFL in forced fumbles with six. He had 122 combined tackles (76 solo tackles and 46 assisted tackles), six tackles for a loss, eight quarterback hits, three interceptions for 28 yards, 12 pass deflections, six sacks, and four fumble recoveries for five yards. This was also the second time Winfield Jr. was selected to the Pro Bowl as the first time came in 2021. Three years ago, in 13 games, Winfield Jr. had 88 combined tackles (62 solo tackles and 26 assisted tackles), four tackles for a loss, three quarterback hits, two interceptions for 30 yards, six pass deflections, two forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries for nine yards and two sacks.

The two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles in 2021 came in Buccaneers wins. An interception and one forced fumble came in a 19-17 Buccaneers win over the New England Patriots on October 3, 2021. One sack and the other forced fumble came in a 38-3 Buccaneers win over the Chicago Bears on October 24, 2021. The other interception (this one for 30 yards) came in a 38-31 Buccaneers win over the Indianapolis Colts on November 28, 2021. The other sack came in a 41-17 Buccaneers win over the Carolina Panthers on January 9, 2022.

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