San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Michael Crabtree didn't receive a signing bonus with his six-year, $32 million deal, which he signed Thursday. According to a source, Crabtree's first-year payout is in base salary. He'll make $2,393,077 this season.
Top-10 picks usually don't receive signing bonus money in order to maximize the value of the contract over the length of the deal. The big bonuses come in the second year in the form of an option bonus.
How much did Crabtree gain by waiting until October to sign? Although the 49ers might have kicked in more money had the sides come closer to a deal in August, Crabtree waited to top the five-year, $20 million deal that was offered throughout the conversations. In the end, he got about $8 million more over the first five years of the six-year deal, according to sources. At least in his eyes, Crabtree feels his wait was financially worthwhile.
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John Clayton
