49ers’ Bowman gets more after taking less
The 49ers inside linebacker had signed a five-year extension that would pay him $9 million annually, knowing Willis, his position mate, was earning an average of $10 million per season.
Four years after Bowman signed that deal, the 49ers took the unusual step of signing him to a four-year extension with three years left on his contract Wednesday night.
The new contract makes him the NFL’s second highest-paid inside linebacker behind Carolina’s Luke Kuechly ($12.35 million) and could have been inspired by Bowman’s willingness to accept less in 2012.
“I’ve accomplished a lot from that time and made the huge accolades that a linebacker could make,” Bowman said.
[...] it’s also about locking up a player whose career has started on a similar trajectory to that of Willis.
Bowman, 28, who missed 2014 with a severe knee injury, has been named a first-team All-Pro in each of his first four seasons as a starter.
Only three other players in 49ers history have more first-team All-Pro seasons:
Like Willis, who retired last year at 30 after eight seasons because of health concerns, Bowman didn’t rule out leaving the NFL when he was still productive.
On Sunday, general manager Trent Baalke repeated the front-office’s philosophy when asked about the 49ers’ lack of free-agent signings in the spring.
The 49ers, he said, want to offer lucrative contracts to players such as Bowman they’ve drafted and developed.
Bowman, left tackle Joe Staley, safety Antoine Bethea, outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks and placekicker Phil Dawson are the only players who have been voted to a Pro Bowl.
Thirty of their 33 draft picks over the past three seasons remain on the roster and those from the class of 2014 could be signed to extensions after this season.
“You basically have to crawl before you can walk and understand that the guys that do make the big money in this league work hard and have to wait their time to get to that point,” Bowman said.