"When Bears receiver Earl Bennett considered wearing orange cleats for a third consecutive week, he mentioned how money wasn't an issue despite the $15,000 worth of fines he had incurred.

Bennett apparently knew his big payday was coming.

The fourth-year player cashed in Friday, signing a four-year, $18 million extension with $9 million guaranteed, including a $6 million signing bonus, a league source confirmed.

The Bears now have their most polished receiver locked up through 2015.

"Good to see a guy like him get rewarded for his time here," quarterback Caleb Hanie said of Bennett. "The best has yet to come for him, though."

Bennett said his agent, C.J. Laboy, and the Bears had been negotiating for a few months.

"For them to get something done in a short period of time, it says a lot about the organization (and) how much they care about us," Bennett said.

General manager Jerry Angelo said earlier this season that the Bears would reward their own as the team sat $18 million below the cap. The process of keeping players in the fold started with center Roberto Garza signing a two-year deal potentially worth $6.5 million with $2.6 million guaranteed.

Bennett apparently never pondered hitting the open market after the season.

"It's home, man," Bennett said of Chicago. "The organization has been loyal to me. I just wanted to be loyal to them. … They had the first shot at it, and they took advantage of it. And I appreciate it.""