Penei Sewell grew up in a 'shack' in the sea and just banked $24 million in the NFL. How's that for a journey?
"I haven't even started yet," Sewell said the night the Lions drafted him seventh overall. "That's how I feel. There's a lot to do, a lot to be done."
He can check his rookie contract off the list. Sewell and the Lions agreed to a four-year, $24.1 million deal on Wednesday, according to NFL Network. Fully guaranteed with a nearly $15 million signing bonus.
Sewell is expected to be Detroit's starting right tackle in 2021 and one of the anchors of a dominant offensive line for years to come. He was sidelined for rookie minicamp last weekend after testing positive for COVID-19, but the Lions aren't concerned.
Dan Campbell said it's "no setback" for Sewell, who's scheduled to arrive in Detroit to begin the team's offseason training program this week.
With Sewell under contract through 2024 (with a fifth-year option for 2025), the Lions now have their five starting offensive linemen signed for at least the next three seasons: C Frank Ragnow through 2026, LT Taylor Decker through 2024 and guards Halapoulivaati Vaitai and Jonah Jackson through 2024 and 2023, respectively.
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Vaitai, 27, is the oldest player in the group. The 20-year-old Sewell is the youngest. Life comes at you fast. It wasn't all that long ago, nine years to be exact, that Sewell lived with his family in the American Samoa village of Malaeimi, population 1,000 the year he was born.
"It was real small and life was simple," Sewell said. "To come from that to where I am today, it's nothing but a blessing."
