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PITTSBURGH – Running back Jerome Bettis has agreed to a
six-year $30 million contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The tentative deal includes a $6 million signing bonus, agent
Lamont Smith said. Bettis and team representatives were still
hashing out incentives that could make the contract worth $35
million when it is signed.
The Steelers scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference Friday with
Bettis and team vice president Art Rooney II to announce the
signing.
"It's an opportunity for Jerome to retire a Steeler," Smith
said Thursday. "This deal is less than what he could have gotten
in an open market place. In this era of greed, it's commendable
again for Jerome to do this in order to stay with this club."
If the contract is finalized, it would be the second time Bettis
turned down a more lucrative contract to stay in Pittsburgh. The
29-year-old running back declined a big offer from the Washington
Redskins four years ago.
Bettis will receive about $9 million in the first two years,
including the signing bonus, $484,000 in base salary this year and
about $2.5 million next year.
The deal comes after the Steelers released defensive end Kevin
Henry and fullback Jon Witman.
Henry is one of few players remaining from the 1995 Super Bowl
team. His salary would have reached $1.4 million, more than twice
what he received last year.
Both were starters the last several years, although Witman
missed the final 10 games last season because of a broken leg.
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