Lorenzo Carter’s contract is worth $9 million over 2 years

The Atlanta Falcons signed linebacker Lorenzo Carter to a two-year deal on Tuesday, but without knowing the rest of the contract details, fans weren’t sure what to make of the signing.

According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, the contract is worth $9 million over two years, with $5.25 million in guaranteed money.

Full details on Lorenzo Carter’s 2-year deal with the #Falcons.

Total: $9 million, $5.25 million guaranteed. Signing bonus $2 million.

2023: $3.25 million base fully guaranteed, $5.25 million cap hit.

2024: $3.75 million base; $4.75 million cap hit.

— Michael Rothstein (@mikerothstein) March 9, 2023

Carter gets a $2 million signing bonus and his 2023 cap hit will be north of $5 million. In 2024, Carter will have a cap hit of $4.75 million.

So how much money do the Falcons have left to spend in free agency? According to Over The Cap‘s projections, Atlanta has $62.9 million in cap space after signing Carter. This leaves plenty of money to address the defense and potentially find a new right tackle in free agency.

The Falcons chose not to use the franchise tag on Kaleb McGary, and since the team is reportedly not going after Lamar Jackson, Atlanta may have its eye on a few other big-name free agents.

Carter, 27, was a starter last season. His contract indicates he’ll remain a key part of the defense for the next year at least. The former Georgia Bulldog was originally drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft by the New York Giants. Carter recorded 33 QB pressures and four sacks for the Falcons last season.