The Green Bay Packers and nose tackle Kenny Clark have agreed to a four-year, $70million contract extension hours before the team's first practice of the season, according to multiple reports.
The deal, which includes a $25m signing bonus, makes Clark the highest-paid nose tackle in league history and the 12th highest-paid defensive player in the NFL, according to ESPN.
Clark, still just 24, was entering the fifth and final year on his rookie contract after being selected 27th overall in 2016 out of UCLA.
Coming off his first Pro Bowl season, Clark has been a cornerstone of the Packers' defense for the past three seasons.
Clark's versatile skillset has been compared to that of Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones, who received a four-year contract extension of his own worth up to $85m earlier this offseason.
In addition to being one of the Packers' few effective run-stoppers, Clark is equally disruptive on passing downs, racking up 16 and a half sacks over the last three years.
Since Clark became a starter in 2017, the Packers' defense allows an opponents' passer rating of 103.0 when he is on the bench and is allowing a 90.6 passer rating on snaps that he plays.
Over the last three seasons, the Packers have pressured the opposing quarterback on 39.0 percent of pass plays when Clark is on the field, compared to just 32.8 percent when he is on the sidelines.
Clark's extension is the first domino to fall in a series of tough financial decisions for Green Bay, with All-Pro left tackle David Bakhtiari and touchdown machine Aaron Jones entering the final seasons of their contracts.