Matthew Bergeron is cashing in in a big way.
The Atlanta Falcons have signed the former Syracuse offensive lineman to a four-year deal worth $96 million, a contract extension that ESPN reported includes $60 million in guaranteed money. For a former Orange player, that puts Bergeron in rare air.
The number is the largest contract signed by a former Syracuse football player since Donovan McNabb’s then-NFL record $115 million deal in 2002. It also tops the $51 million in guarantees Chandler Jones received in 2017 as part of a five-year, $82 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals.
Bergeron spent the 2019-2022 seasons at Syracuse before Atlanta took him in the second round with the No. 38 pick. A Quebec native, he arrived as an underrecruited player from Canada and ended up landing his only scholarship offer after showing up to a one-day camp at SU.
The Falcons plugged him in right away at left guard, and he has started 49 games over his first three NFL seasons. Bergeron was scheduled to hit free agency after this season.
“This means the world,” Bergeron told the Falcons’ team site. “I’m from Canada, and the second I got to Atlanta everybody welcomed me with open arms.
Atlanta is a special place for me and my family. And now, I have the resources to give back to a community that has given me so much and changed my life.”
If he reaches the maximum value of the new contract, Bergeron would pass the career NFL earnings of Pro Football Hall of Famer Dwight Freeney. McNabb’s 2002 contract was viewed as the biggest in league history at the time, though it was structured so the final three years could be easily voided. McNabb never collected the full amount and reworked the deal in 2009, which became his final season with the Eagles.
In Other News...
Syracuse Camp Opens With One Huge Steve Angeli Question
Training camp has brought the usual mix of optimism and uncertainty to Syracuse, but the biggest storyline is at the most important position on the field. The Orange are getting their work in for a Sept. 5 season opener against New Hampshire while sorting through a roster that still has some clear strengths, especially in the secondary, where preseason-recognized names like Chris Peal and Demetres Samuel Jr. give the defense a proven backbone.
The offensive side, though, still has a lingering question mark at quarterback as Steve Angeli works his way back into the conversation after the injury that ended his season. Syracuse also has to settle into a new rhythm at running back after Yasin Willis moved on, and junior Jamie Tremble is one of the more intriguing players to watch as camp unfolds and roles begin to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Syracuse Is Zeroing In On Elite EYBL Talent Fans Need To Watch
Syracuses recruiting board is getting a more national feel as the Nike EYBL Scholastic circuit expands to 15 member institutions for the 2026-27 season, giving the Orange a deeper pool of high-level talent to track. For a program still trying to keep pace in the battles for elite prospects, those schools have become important stops on the calendar, with Syracuse already involved on several names who have either received offers or are firmly on the radar.
Among the players worth watching are a handful of recruits whose situations are still developing, which is exactly why this stretch matters for the Orange. Visits and offer sheets will continue to shape where Syracuse stands, and the recruiting picture could shift quickly as the staff works through the EYBL Scholastic pipeline heading into the fall. [Read more 🡒]