National Football League

Darnell Dockett signs two-year deal with 49ers

Published Mar. 5, 2015 10:43 a.m. ET

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Darnell Dockett wears his feelings on his sleeve --- and on his Twitter account. If you were reading them right, you could have guessed his plans when he retweeted this from Deion Sanders three days ago.

Six days after the Cardinals released him in a cap-saving move, Dockett agreed to a two-year deal with Arizona's biggest rival, the San Francisco 49ers, ending one of the more colorful and memorable runs in franchise history.

Dockett's agent Drew Rosenhaus, announced the deal early Thursday morning. The deal reportedly pays Dockett $4 million in 2015; $2 million of that is guaranteed. The contract is worth a total of $7.5 million if Dockett plays two years.

The Cardinals said publicly that they wanted Dockett back at a lower salary than the $6.55 million he was set to make in 2015 with a cap hit of nearly $10 million. Per multiple reports, the Cardinals offered Dockett a one-year deal with a base salary of $2.5 million, but if he achieved incentive clauses, that total could have reached $4 million.

"We have been very clear about our feelings for Darnell and our desire to have him back," Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said. "After speaking with him and his representatives, we decided that this move today makes the most sense for the team and the player and allows each to keep all of its options open."

Dockett, who will be 34 in May, missed all of last season after tearing his ACL during a training camp practice at University of Phoenix Stadium. Prior to that, he had been an incredibly durable player, missing just two of 158 NFL games.

In an interview Thursday with FOX Sports 910 AM, Dockett said he felt disrespected by the Cardinals' offer. He said that he and the Cardinals were less than $500,000 apart but the Cardinals wouldn't bridge the gap.

The Cardinals selected Dockett in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and he appeared in 158 regular season games in 10 seasons with the team. He has 349 career tackles, 40.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles and 12 fumble recoveries.

Dockett was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2007, 2009, and 2010. When discussing the possibility he might not be back with the team last season, Dockett shrugged.

"It doesn't matter because know I can still play and I will be playing somewhere," he said. "I hope it's here. This is the only place I've ever played, and that means something, but the film don't lie. People can see what I do. People know I can still play."

Palmer was asked if the rivalry between the Cardinals and 49ers just got a little more intense with Dockett's move. 

"I know it will for him," Palmer said, noting that he was texting with Dockett Thursday morning. ""It was very political. We'll talk trash later. It's too early."

Follow Craig Morgan on Twitter

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