Earlier this offseason, the Philadelphia Eagles lost a monumental piece of their offensive line when center Jason Kelce announced his retirement. While Kelce can now focus more on podcasting and other endeavors in addition to potentially being Taylor Swift's future brother-in-law, the Eagles have to continue moving forward. As part of that moving forward process, the Eagles just signed guard Landon Dickerson to a four-year, $84 million contract to keep him around for the long run as the team looks to get back to the Super Bowl.
Per NFL reporter Ian Rapoport, the average annual value of Dickerson's contract is the largest in NFL history for a guard. Dickerson will make $21 million per season. The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus and $50 million guaranteed. Depending on certain performance-based incentives, Dickerson could also net a few extra million over the course of the contract, pushing the total to a potential $87 million.
That's a lot of cash, so it would be understandable if Dickerson decided to make a lavish purchase. After news of the contract broke, a reporter asked what Dickerson might do with the money. His answer? A lawn mower. And when a reporter called him out on this, thinking he was being humble or lying, Dickerson showed his receipts.
"I have a financial advisor for a reason. I don't know, I may go get a new lawn mower. Something I've been looking into…zero turn."
According to my quick internet searching, a Toro Time Cutter 42 inch Zero Turn lawn mower would set you back $2,999 at Home Depot. That does feel like a luxury, but maybe not quite commensurate with an $84 million contract signing? On the other hand, when you see Dickerson's yard, well, you might understand why he was so eager to upgrade his lawn game.
On an Instagram Story, Dickerson provided an update: He did, in fact, get that lawn mower.
Eagles guard Landon Dickerson was asked what he was going to buy after signing an $84 million extension:
"I may go get a lawn mower…zero turn."
And today he says he wasn't kidding.
His lawn is incredible 🤣 pic.twitter.com/azDStfbORA
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 13, 2024
Dickerson played as a center at Alabama, winning a national title while being named to the All-America and All-SEC teams. The Eagles selected him in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He's been a guard during his NFL time, but that hasn't stopped him from performing well; he's earned two Pro Bowl nods in his three seasons.
Now, the team is going to rely on Dickerson even more. If his work on the field is as strong as the work on his lawn, the Eagles are going to be just fine.
