TEMPE, Ariz. -- Darnell Dockett finally has the contract he believes he deserves.
The Arizona Cardinals announced Wednesday that they have signed the two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle to a four-year extension worth up to $48 million with $30 million guaranteed.
Dockett had two years left on his previous contract, so the new deal runs through the 2015 season.
A third-round draft pick out of Florida State in 2004, Dockett has developed into one of the best at his position entering his seventh NFL season as the high-spirited leader of Arizona's defense.
"We are very fortunate to have a player of Darnell's ability," Cardinals general manager Rod Graves said, "and I think even more so his passion for the game."
Dockett has 26 career sacks, 20 in the past three seasons. He had seven sacks last season, tops among defensive tackles. His three sacks against the Pittsburgh Steelers two seasons ago tied Reggie White's Super Bowl record.
Dockett has started all but one game since coming to the NFL and enters this season with 81 consecutive starts.
The extension follows a change in Dockett's approach to the contract issue. As long as two years ago, he has made it clear he believed he deserved a bigger contract. Last year, he sat out minicamp with what was called a sore hamstring. But he was there on time for the 2009 training camp and hasn't missed any workouts since, leaving the contract issues to agent Drew Rosenhaus.
Not that Dockett's free spirit still doesn't get the best of him at times. This summer, he made an ill-advised streaming Internet video taking a shower to win a bet, then promptly made a public apology.
"The thing that has really made it so apparent that we wanted to get this deal done was his growth as a player and as a person," Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "Where he sits right now in front of you guys, after having a couple of Pro Bowls, after how he works with our team, it's a little bit different than he was almost four years ago when we started this thing."
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Eleven days before the Cardinals' season opener, Dockett sat at a news conference Wednesday to announce his new contract, Graves on one side, Whisenhunt on the other.
"I know a lot of people probably thought I wasn't going to come to training camp," Dockett said. "I made a commitment to players that I was going to be there, like Joey Porter. I told him I would be there and I didn't want to let him down. Once I put my helmet on and shoulder pads, I can honestly tell you I really didn't think about contract. I just focused on football and believed they could get it done."
For the quick, punishing, 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle from Decatur, Ga., the new deal is a rich testament to his ability to overcome some horrific obstacles.
Dockett was 13 when he came home to find his mother dead from a gunshot to the head. He moved in with his father, who died of pancreatic cancer just a few months later. His uncle, Kevin Dockett, took the boy in and provided him the foundation to find success.
"The biggest thing for me and my life and my situation is for young people to understand that anything's possible," Dockett said. "I'm living proof. I don't do things for a pat on the back or things like that. I just want people to understand that things are possible. All you've got to do is make the right decisions and keep playing and stay focused."
Over the last three seasons, Dockett's 20 sacks are more than fellow defensive tackles Albert Haynesworth (17.5), Kevin Williams (17.5) and Tommie Harris (15.5). Dockett said he believes the new contract pays him what he deserves compared with others at his position.
"I did a lot of research, a lot of thought about it, and it's good for me," he said. "I'm very happy."
The news conference was packed with television crews and reporters, a big turnout that could be attributed to the fact that many assumed it had something to do with quarterback Matt Leinart, who reportedly is a candidate to be traded or released.
Whisenhunt was amused.
"I have to admit I was kind of tickled," he said.
Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press