Packers sign Mike Daniels to four-year contract extension worth $42 million

Every game, Mike Daniels makes impact plays for the Green Bay Packers. The defensive end has become a vocal leader as well as the team's on-field leader when the defense takes the field.

Today, Daniels is cashing in on his impressive performance on his rookie contract over his first three-plus years in the NFL. Adam Schefter of ESPN first reported the news:

GB's Mike Daniels signs 4-year, $42M extension, including $22M in first 15 months, $12 million SB, per source. Now 3rd highest paid 3-4 DE.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 14, 2015

That's a huge payday for Daniels, but one that is well-deserved. He has posted 18 sacks in his four NFL seasons, including four this season. He plays around 75% of the Packers' defensive snaps, manning both the right end position in the base 3-4 and one of the interior tackle positions in the nickel.

This contract, as Schefter notes, makes Daniels the third-highest-paid player at his position on a per-year basis, trailing only Houston's J.J. Watt ($16.7M/year) and New Orleans' Cameron Jordan ($11M/year).

Congratulations to Daniels on his big payday!