Ryan Kerrigan Signs 5 Year Extension with Redskins

Photo from Blacksportsonline

Since being drafted 16th overall in the 2011 NFL Draft, Ryan Kerrigan has been a stellar member of the Washington Redskins’ defense. He has impressed by consistently posting excellent stats and bringing his A-game every time he steps onto the field.  On July 29th, Kerrigan was rewarded for his efforts with a five year, 57.5 million dollar contract including a 16 million dollar signing bonus.

Kerrigan entered the 2011 draft coming out of Purdue as a defensive end, but was drafted by the Redskins and converted to an outside linebacker. Kerrigan excelled at his new position, and earned his starting spot day one. Since then, Kerrigan hasn’t missed a game in his four year career, playing through a torn lateral meniscus in 2013.

In 2014, Kerrigan finished with a total of 51 tackles, five forced fumbles and 13.5 sacks, all of which were career highs. His sack total placed him at seventh in the league, finishing just behind Von Miller’s 14 sacks. His five forced fumbles tied with Robert Quinn for the highest total in the NFL.

Without a doubt, this was a great move by the Redskins. Kerrigan is a young player with no serious injury history or any sort of off the field issues. At 26 years old, he is set to enter his prime soon, and with Brian Orakpo having signed with the Tennessee Titans, Kerrigan will become the new leader of the Redskins’ linebacker group. He is the type of player that doesn’t cause trouble in the locker room or off the field. He shows up and he plays quality football, and in today’s NFL, you can never have enough players like that. His new contract is most definitely deserved, and it will be exciting to see what he can do as he continues to progress.