Derwin James 12/05/21 Dec 5, 2021; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Chris Harris Jr. (25) reacts after intercepting the ball with safety Derwin James Jr. (33) in the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

After a number of notable additions to their team this offseason, the Los Angeles Chargers look like they could be one of the best teams in the NFL this season. The organization made a huge move to keep one of their top players on Wednesday.

The Chargers have officially come to terms with two-time Pro Bowl safety Derwin James on a four-year contract extension worth $76.4 million that will keep him with the Chargers organization through the 2026-27 NFL season.

This comes after a short opt-in for James where he was not participating in practice for the Chargers, but luckily both sides were able to come to terms on a deal.

With this deal, James will become the highest-paid safety in the history of the NFL, averaging over $19 million per year through the duration of his contract.

This narrowly tops Minkah Fitzpatrick’s contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers worth $73.6 million over four years back in June.

It is certainly a steep price for a safety, but many believe that it is justified considering he is still in the prime of his career at only 26 years old.

The AFC West has improved greatly this offseason with Davante Adams joining the Las Vegas Raiders and Russell Wilson joining the Denver Broncos this offseason.

On top of this, the Kansas City Chiefs are always going to be around in the division, so it’s important to have all hands on deck for the Chargers as they head into the 2022-23 NFL season.

This move assures that James will be good to go this upcoming season, and his impact could finally lift them over the top of their extremely competitive division and into the playoffs for the first time since 2018 next year.

[Adam Schefter]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.