Kansas City Chiefs Creed Humphrey NFL's Highest-Paid Center

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Creed Humphrey became the highest-paid center in NFL history on Thursday, agreeing to a four-year contract extension with the Kansas City Chiefs that is worth $72 million, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The deal includes $50 million in guarantees, sources said.

"He's a heck of a football player, a real good football player," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said after Thursday night's 34-21 preseason loss to the Chicago Bears. "He started off that way and he kept it going that way. So we appreciate all he does and we appreciate having him here."

The 25-year-old joined the Chiefs in 2021 as a second-round draft pick from Oklahoma and immediately became a starter. He has been a solid pass protector. In 2023, he ranked second among the NFL's interior offensive linemen in pass block win rate at 98.8%. Ahead of him was his Chiefs teammate, guard Joe Thuney.

The Chiefs' other starting guard, Trey Smith, is entering the final season of his contract. Smith, who came to the Chiefs in the same draft as Humphrey, was third in the NFL in pass block win rate at 96.6%.

South Dakota Born NFL Players of this Century

While not a traditional powerhouse Nation Football League feeder, South Dakota has produces a fair number of football players that went on to the big time in the NFL.

Here are some that have played on various teams over the last couple of decades.

LOOK: The story behind every NFL team name

Stacker delved into the story behind every NFL football team name. Overall team records, also included, are reflective of NFL regular-season games. There are some football teams with well-known nicknames—the Jets, for instance, are often referred to as Gang Green—but we also divulge how some teams’ official names are sparingly used (the Jets’ neighbors, the Giants, are actually known as the New York Football Giants). Sometimes a team name can tell you a lot about local history: The Vikings of Minnesota draw upon the area’s strong ties to Scandinavia, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dripping in local legend related to Florida’s pirate past.

Let’s kick off the countdown with the folks who earned their nickname by buying boxes of used team jerseys.

Gallery Credit: Seth Berkman