David Johnson is the latest running back to get himself paid. The Cardinals announced on Saturday night that they've agreed to a three-year extension with the star running back.

According to a report from ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, the extension has a base value of $39 million and that can be worth as much as $45 million. The deal contains $30 million in guaranteed money. 

Johnson, who was Arizona's third-round pick back in 2015, has blossomed into one of the NFL's top players at the position. In 2016, he gained at least 100 yards from scrimmage in each of Arizona's first 15 games, an NFL record. He missed almost all of last season after dislocating his wrist in Week 1, but he is healthy again and is expected to once again play a major role in the Cardinals offense. 

This contract will be somewhere between the second and fourth-largest in the league for a running back, according to Spotrac. The average annual value starts out as the third-largest for any back, and could surpass that of Todd Gurley and Le'Veon Bell (franchise tag) as the largest in the league. Johnson's $30 million in guarantees rank third behind Gurley and rookie Saquon Barkley. The extension allows Johnson to hit free agency again in 2021 at age 29. 

The deal is sure to be of interest to Bell, who is still holding out for a new deal from the Steelers. Because the Steelers used the franchise tag on him, he cannot be signed to a long-term deal until next offseason. However, Johnson is now the second back in the AFC West alone to sign a contract worth eight figures per year, which bodes well for the future of the running back market after it had slowed to a crawl in recent seasons. 

The Cardinals, meanwhile, now have Johnson locked in for four more seasons -- or the entirety of quarterback Josh Rosen's rookie contract prior to his fifth-year option. That ensures that the team's franchise QB has one of the NFL's best weapons alongside him as he develops into the team's starter over the next several seasons.