Source - 49ers' Deommodore Lenoir gets 5-year, $92M extension - ESPN

SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Even after a strong 2023 campaign and a training camp in which he was consistently one of the best players on the field, San Francisco 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was in no rush to sign a big-money contract extension until he could solidify himself as one of the league's best at his position.

As it turned out, it took only nine more games for that to happen, as Lenoir and the 49ers reached agreement on a five-year, $92 million contract extension, a source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on Tuesday.

The deal comes in the midst of a season when Lenoir has emerged as one of the Niners' best — and most versatile — young players, even on a roster with plenty of star power. Through those nine contests, Lenoir has 53 tackles, a forced fumble and two interceptions. He has allowed a passer rating of just 66.5 when targeted as the nearest defender, according to Next Gen Stats.

Lenoir also recovered a blocked field goal and raced 61 yards for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.

He has done all of that despite bouncing between outside corner and playing in the slot when the Niners go into nickel packages. It's a double duty he began taking on toward the end of the 2022 season before fully embracing last season, when he played 570 snaps at outside corner and 311 in the slot, allowing a minus-4.7 EPA (expected points added), 80.1 passer rating and just one touchdown when targeted.

Despite starting this season on the final year of his rookie contract and the Niners' desire to sign him, Lenoir told ESPN in August he wasn't in a hurry to sign an extension because he was «at the point where I'm trying to be one of the top guys in the NFL as far as the corner position, the nickel position, just