Three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Hines Ward, regarded as the heart and soul of the Pittsburgh Steelers offense, on Monday morning signed a four-year contract extension that will keep him with the team through the 2009 season.

 

The extension is worth $25.83 million and includes total bonuses of $10 million. Ward can earn an additional $2.5 million in incentives. Ward had one year left on his previous contract, at a base salary of $1.669 million. Without the add-on, he would have been eligible for unrestricted free agency next spring.

 

The Steelers will officially announce the signing on Monday afternoon.

 

The accord ends months of negotiations that included Ward's 15-day holdout at the start of training camp. Steelers officials had announced late last season their intention to sign Ward to an extension aimed at having him finish his career with the team. Negotiations between Steelers officials and agent Eugene Parker heated up over the weekend and the two sides completed the final details of the extension on Monday morning.

 

Ward, 29, is viewed locally as a player who epitomizes the blue-collar mindset of the city and its team. Even with his three Pro Bowl appearances, he is probably underappreciated around the league. But the seven-year veteran, who turned himself into a premier player through hard work, is a wide receiver who excels at far more than catching the ball.

 

He is arguably the best blocking wide receiver in the league and his versatility -- he played four positions in college, at the University of Georgia, including quarterback -- provides the Steelers coaches opportunities for considerable creativity.

 

A third-round pick in the 1998 draft, Ward has twice been named the Steelers' Most Valuable Player, as voted on by his teammates. Over the last four seasons, Ward has averaged 95.3 receptions, 1,124.8 yards and 7.5 touchdowns. He posted at least 80 receptions in each of those seasons and went over 1,000 receiving yards each year.

 

For his career, Ward has 505 catches for 6,055 yards and 41 touchdowns, and he is poised to break most of the franchise's key receiving records. Ward has appeared in 112 games and has started in 93 of them.

 

ESPN.com

 

He's definetly my favorite Steeler (with Fast Willie close behind) so this is awesome news! I LUH HIM

Which, coincidentally, is how many years between until he'll be good. This guy has a few catches a year; but every 4 YEARS, he's special.

He does a lot more than get receptions. He's one of the reasons our running game was so good last year.

Good thing the Prez doesn't own the team, or he'd have never got an extension.....

 

:plain

 

Anyways, great news for the Steelers. Ward is the best blocking WR in the league, and besides catch the ball, does all the little things that have become cliche but are still very important.

 

Which, coincidentally, is how many years between until he'll be good. This guy has a few catches a year; but every 4 YEARS, he's special.

 

Spoken like a true fan of a Steelers divisional rival. :lol