Shepard agreed in principle Wednesday with the Giants on a four-year, $41 million extension, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Shepard, who was set to become a free agent next offseason, gets a deal that surpasses that of new teammate Golden Tate, who received a four-year, $37.5 million contract from the Giants last month. The extension immediately quiets any speculation that Tate's addition has put Shepard on the trade block and suggests the latter is a big part of what the Giants want to do offensively moving forward. With Tate specializing in the slot, Shepard seems poised for more work on the outside than he has seen in the past. In addition to Tate, Shepard will have to contend for targets with Saquon Barkley and Evan Engram.