Raiders make Rodney Hudson highest-paid center in NFL history
The Oakland Raiders have traded away Khalil Mack, Amari Cooper and Kelechi Osemele in the last year, but they’ll be retaining at least one past Pro Bowler going forward.
[Join or create a 2019 Yahoo Fantasy Football league for free today]
The Raiders announced Friday they had signed Rodney Hudson to an extension, reported by ESPN to be worth three years and $33.4 million. That $11.13 million annual salary will make Hudson the highest-paid center in NFL history.
Hudson was previously set to hit free agency after this season.
Just behind Hudson on the leaderboard are the Buffalo Bills’ Mitch Morse ($11.125 million), the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Maurkice Pouncey ($11 million) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Ryan Jensen ($10.5 million), per Over The Cap.
Hudson’s deal continues a trend of the Raiders investing heavily in the offensive line. The team drafted UCLA tackle Kolton Miller 15th overall last year, then gave former New England Patriots tackle Trent Brown the largest contract for an offensive lineman in NFL history.
[Watch NFL games on your phone for FREE with the Yahoo Sports app]
With another record contract, the Raiders will keep Hudson on board as they try to finally make an ascent in the AFC west.
The numbers paint a favorable picture for Hudson, who is well-regarded as a locker room leader, as one of the NFL’s top linemen.
Rodney Hudson:
- Zero sacks allowed in 2018, while surrendering just 1 hit and 4 QB pressures. No other center in the NFL last season with at least 1,000 snaps surrendered fewer than 8 hurries, per @PFF.
- Has surrendered just ONE sack in his last 2,678 snaps.#CarrInsurance pic.twitter.com/3Y94FzoQ3K— Evert Geerlings (@E_Geerlings) August 30, 2019
Hudson joined the Raiders in 2015 on a five-year, $44.5 million contract, which turned out to be quite a good value. Hudson previously played for the Kansas City Chiefs, who drafted him out of Florida State in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft.
More from Yahoo Sports:
