Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht is playing chess while the rest of the NFL GMs are playing checkers.

On Friday, the Bucs announced they’ve reached an agreement with starting cornerback Zyon McCollum on a three-year, $48 million contract extension, as reported by his agents Drew and Jason Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The agreement reportedly includes $35.4 million in guaranteed money and will keep the former Sam Houston State standout in Tampa Bay through the 2028 season.

McCollum started nine games in the 2023 regular season after injuries to starters Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean, after the team selected him the year prior in the fifth round of the NFL Draft. He followed 2023 by starting all 17 games in 2024 and allowed a 57.4 completion percentage with two interceptions, 17 pass breakups, 82 tackles and a fumble recovery.

McCollum had an impactful final week of the season for the Bucs last year against the division rival New Orleans Saints, helping allow wideout Mike Evans to achieve his 11th straight 1,000-yard season. The Saints were faced with a 3rd-and-5 with just 47 seconds left in the game, with Evans five yards short of his milestone. McCollum broke up that third-down pass that allowed the Bucs to get the ball back and preserve their one-point lead over New Orleans.

Evans caught a pass from Baker Mayfield that put him over the mark, tying Jerry Rice for 11 1,000-yard seasons.

Earlier this week, Licht and Tampa Bay signed right tackle Luke Goedeke to a four-year, $90 million deal, keeping their offensive tackles in-house for the next half-decade.