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| Even though he's lost for the season with an Achilles injury, Cowboys safety Barry Church is a happy man, as the team extended his contract on Friday through the 2016 season. (US Presswire) |
When safety Barry Church went down with an Achilles injury back in Week 3, his future with the team was somewhat in question, considering he was scheduled to be a restricted free agent after the year.
The Cowboys ended that suspense on Friday, giving Church a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the club through the 2016 season. The contract is worth about $9 million, including $2.5 million in signing bonus, with an overall $3.9 in guaranteed money.
Church won the starting job in training camp, beating out Brodney Pool, who was cut in camp, and figured to be a solid tandem with Gerald Sensabaugh for a few years to come. While Church’s injury ended his season, it apparently did change the way the Cowboys feel about his return and long-term availability as a starter.
"It's congratulations to Barry," Sensabaugh said. "It's well earned. I'm glad to see him get it. We were talking about it. They've been back and forth for a little bit now. If they get comfortable with it, go ahead and get it knocked out and be a Cowboy for a long time. It's good to see him get that done. He knows the system. He's a heck of a player.”
The Cowboys have been hampered by injuries at safety this year, with rookie Matt Johnson suffering three different hamstring injuries since training camp. Danny McCray has been elevated to a starter and the Cowboys have signed veterans Eric Frampton and recently Charlie Peprah.
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