Big Cat Country
Wednesday became a payday for Jacksonville Jaguars tight end Brenton Strange.
The Penn State alum and fourth-year Jag reportedly agreed to a contract extension with the team for a new 3-year deal worth up to $48 million with $25 million guaranteed.
Fellow tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. recently agreed to a new deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Tuesday to the tune of 3-years, $54 million and $36 million in guarantees which likely set the ceiling for the new contract given to Strange.
Strange is coming off the best pass-catching year of his career that saw him snag 46 of his 60 targets over 12 games for 540 yards and three touchdowns. He did miss time to injury, but saw a dramatic uptick in usage and impact in his first season under head coach Liam Coen. With added value as a blocker in Coen’s new scheme last season, Strange was also an integral part in a run game that ran wild for much of the season.
While the Jaguars did draft two tight ends in April’s draft, using their highest pick on Texas A&M tight end Nate Boerkircher and later selecting Houston tight end Tanner Koziol in the fifth round, Strange still is TE1 in Duval County. The wide receiver room may also be crowded but Strange continues to project as a key piece for the Jacksonville offense moving forward and he was paid as such.
The Jaguars have been busy this offseason in paying their homegrown talent outside of Strange, as long snapper Ross Matiscik and defensive end Travon Walker both picked up contract extensions earlier this summer.
