Steelers and Farrior sign pact extension

The meat of the contract is the first three seasons, valued at $12.6 million.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers signed linebacker James Farrior to a five-year $18.25 million contract extension that includes a $5 million signing bonus.

Farrior, who is entering his 12th season, was signed through this season, but said he hoped to sign an extension that would keep him in Pittsburgh until he retired. Farrior’s agent, Ralph Cindrich, said this contract will do that.

“That’s the game plan, to finish out my career here,” Farrior said. “The Steelers have been good to me, and I have put all my heart and soul into this, so I’ll just try to close it out.”

“James has played at an extremely high level the entire time I have been here,” second-year coach Mike Tomlin said. “Not only is he an outstanding player, he’s also an outstanding professional and, of course, he’s an outstanding leader for us.”

The meat of the contract is the first three seasons, valued at $12.6 million, including $10 million in the first two years. The last two years were tacked on primarily to ease the team’s salary cap concerns, but Farrior said he hasn’t ruled out playing beyond even the contract’s fifth season.

“I’m going to go until they tell me I can’t go no more,” Farrior said. “I got five years on the deal, and I plan on playing it all. I’m going to be an old man. By the time I get out of here, I’m going to collect Social Security.”

Fellow inside linebacker Larry Foote said Farrior is the kind of unique player who might be able to play that long.

“There are certain guys like that around the league, Junior Seau and James Farrior, guys that just keep playing,” Foote said. “God just made him a defensive football player. Not a football player — just a defensive football player.”

Farrior played five seasons for the New York Jets before joining the Steelers as a free agent in 2002. He has been one of the Steelers’ defensive co-captains since 2004 when he was selected to play in the Pro Bowl and was runner up for NFL defensive player of the year.

Farrior has missed just four of the Steelers’ last 96 regular-season games, starting in all the others. He has 705 tackles in his six years with the team.

“He means everything to [the defense],” defensive end Brett Keisel said. “He’s the heart and soul of our defense. He makes all the right calls, puts everyone in the right situations. We’re all happy he’ll be here a little bit longer.”