2008 Woodie Awards
Ex-Pirate signs richest contract in Jags history
Garrard has solidified starting spot
AP
Issue date: 4/10/08 Section: Sports
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But, he was tired of negotiating.
Therefore, Garrard, a former ECU great, ended the contract process Monday, signing a seven-year, $60 million contract that is the richest in franchise history.
"I pretty much had to say, 'Let's go ahead and wrap it up. I'm done,'" Garrard said. "It's too much stress on me and my family. My wife was done five weeks ago. She's already been on board with everything.
"We just kept working on it and I finally just said, 'You know what, I'd rather be happy now, have the city happy now, have the team, the organization, the owner happy now than trying to string something out, having everybody on edge.'"
The Jaguars have had only three QBs start 10 or more games in a season in its history: Mark Brunell, David Garrard and Byron Leftwich. Garrard's 2007 season compares favorably with the other two's best years.
Garrard and his agent, Albert Irby, had been seeking something similar to the six-year, $67.5 million contract, Dallas quarterback Tony Romo signed last season.
However, Garrard settled for the latest offer because "he felt like it was time."
"I've just seen it too many times," he said. "I just didn't want to go through it myself. There's way too many things that can happen to you between here and now and when you're trying to get this done and that done. Is it really worth it? I just said, 'It's time to make everybody happy' because I was already happy."
At ECU, Garrard broke 28 school passing and total offense records from 1998-2001.
He still stands as ECU's all-time leading passer with 9,029 career-passing yards and 60 career touchdown passes.
He is also No. 1 in total offense as he compiled 10,238 total offensive yards in his four-year career with the Pirates.
A career backup who beat out Byron Leftwich last preseason, Garrard was entering the final year of a four-year deal that paid about $2 million annually.
The Jaguars were eager to get him under contract after his first season as a full-time starter.
The 30-year-old Garrard completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,509 yards and 18 touchdowns despite missing three games because of an ankle injury. He threw just three interceptions and finished with the NFL's third-highest passer rating (102.2), proving Head Coach Jack Del Rio made the right move when he announced his quarterback decision a week before the season opener.
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