Former Boise State players Skinner, Matlock sign their first NFL contracts
Former Boise State safety JL Skinner and defensive tackle Scott Matlock have signed their first NFL contracts.
Skinner signed a four-year deal, the Denver Broncos announced Friday.
Based on the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, which has essentially set a rookie wage scale based on where players were drafted, Spotrac.com estimates Skinner’s deal is worth $4.04 million and includes a $196,219 signing bonus.
The Broncos picked Skinner in the sixth round (No. 183 overall) of the NFL Draft in April.
He was a first-team All-Mountain West pick last season after he led Boise State with four interceptions. The 6-foot-4, 209-pound San Diego native earned second-team all-conference honors with a team-high 92 tackles in 2021.
Skinner is still recovering from a torn pectoral muscle, which forced him to miss the NFL Scouting Combine and Boise State’s Pro Day before the draft, but he said on draft day that he was well ahead of schedule.
He wore jersey No. 0 at Boise State, but Denver announced Thursday that he’ll begin his NFL career wearing No. 46.
The Los Angeles Chargers announced Friday that they’ve signed six draft picks, including Matlock, who they picked in the sixth round (No. 200).
Matlock’s contract is worth $4.01 million with a $172,296 signing bonus, according to Spotrac.com. The Chargers also announced last week that he’ll wear jersey No. 99 — the same number he wore at Boise State.
The 6-4, 296-pound Homedale native started 32 games at Boise State since 2020 and appeared in 48 during his five-year career.
He led the Broncos with seven sacks in 2021, and he finished his college career with 115 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks. He also caught two touchdown passes as an extra tight end in goal-line packages.
