January 19, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Broncos defensive end Shaun Phillips (90) following the 26-16 victory against the New England Patriots in the 2013 AFC Championship football game at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Just a few hours after reports came that the Titans were hosting Shaun Phillips on a visit, the two sides have agreed on a two-year deal, according to Titans beat writer Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean. The deal is worth up to $6 million with $2.5 million guaranteed.
As noted in a previous article here, Phillips and the Titans made sense, so it’s not too surprising to see the an agreement reached quickly like this. In Ray Horton’s 3-4 scheme, Phillips has the edge rush ability to play as either a defensive end or outside linebacker for Tennessee this season.
For Phillips, the deal falls in line with how this offseason has been for the plethora of defensive ends. We saw DeMarcus Ware, Michael Johnson and Michael Bennett all go off the market early and get big contracts. Now, the last two weeks have been about the older veterans, with Phillips finding a market shortly after Julius Peppers and Jared Allen were signed. Phillips is not as decorated as those two, so the money and contract length makes sense here.
Even though his 10 sacks indicate he should have received more guaranteed money. It’s important to note that Phillips’s 2013 stats were inflated by the Broncos being up big in many of their games, and teams being forced to pass.