Eddie Goldman, Bears Agree to 4-Year Contract Worth Reported $42 Million

The Chicago Bears announced defensive tackle Eddie Goldman agreed to a four-year contract extension on Friday.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the deal is worth over $42 million and makes Goldman one of the NFL's highest-paid nose tackles, and it includes $25 million in guaranteed money.

Goldman has been one of the league's most-productive nose tackles since Chicago selected him in the second round of the 2015 NFL draft out of Florida State.

Last season, Goldman started 15 games and registered a career-high 44 tackles to go along with 1.5 sacks.

It marked a strong bounce-back campaign for Goldman after he missed 10 games in 2016 with an ankle injury.

Goldman doesn't put up huge numbers with 8.5 sacks in 36 career games, but he occupies blockers to create space for his teammates and excels at stopping the run.

Re-signing Goldman represents the Bears' second significant, long-term commitment on the defensive side of the ball in less than a week.

After the Bears acquired pass-rusher Khalil Mack from the Oakland Raiders for two first-round picks, a third-round pick and a sixth-round pick, they signed him to a six-year, $141 million extension, which is the richest contract for a defensive player in NFL history.

The Bears now have several key front-seven players locked up for the foreseeable future, including Goldman, Mack and linebackers Leonard Floyd and Roquan Smith.

Chicago's new-look defense will get its first taste of regular-season action Sunday night when it faces the rival Green Bay Packers on the road.