ESPN.com reported Friday evening that Clifton, an unrestricted free agent, agreed to a three-year, $20 million contract that included $7.5 million of guaranteed money. The agreement came on the heels of Clifton completing a scheduled visit to Washington Redskins headquarters Friday, according to the Washington Post.
It's unclear how much interest Washington had, but Clifton's agent, Jimmy Sexton, used it as leverage in negotiations with the Packers. Clifton's goal all along was to return to the team that drafted him in 2000, but knowing this would be his last contract, Sexton tried to get him as much as possible.
The $6.67 million per year average is $1 million more than what Clifton received in a six-year, $34 million deal he signed in 2004. The guaranteed portion this time around nearly meets the $10 million he received in the previous contract.t.