RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Washington signed star defensive tackle Jonathan Allen on the eve of training camp to a four-year, $72 million contract extension with a $30 million signing bonus. Allen’s agency, Team IFA, announced the terms of the deal in a Twitter post Monday. Players are set to report to Washington’s training camp Tuesday, with the first practice session set for Wednesday.

Signed, sealed and delivered. Congratulations to @jonallen93_ & @blakebaratz on the contract extension! #TeamIFA pic.twitter.com/oLNP33ai6j

— Team IFA (@TeamIFA) July 26, 2021

Washington picked Allen 17th overall in the 2017 draft. After an injury-plagued rookie year, the 26-year-old Alabama product has grown into the cornerstone of the defense, a team leader and was a key reason the unit ranked second in the NFL in 2020. Allen, a graduate of Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn, Virginia, was fourth on the team last season with 63 tackles and also had two sacks, helping mentor AP Defensive Rookie of the Year Chase Young while also producing. Allen has 190 tackles and 17 sacks in 52 pro games. Allen had one year left on his contract at just over $10 million. There was a concern he’d be franchise-tagged next summer if no long-term agreement could be reached, similar to All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff’s contract situation. Scherff is playing a second consecutive season on the franchise tag. WTOP’s Rob Woodfork contributed to this report. ___ More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL