PITTSFORD, N.Y. (AP) – First-round draft pick Willis McGahee agreed Tuesday to a contract with the Buffalo Bills, but that still doesn’t get the injured running back closer to playing his first game.

In announcing the agreement, Bills president Tom Donahoe said he still hasn’t determined whether McGahee will open the season on the active roster. One option, Donahoe said, is placing the running back on the non-football injury list, allowing him to continue rehabilitating his injured left knee.

“I don’t anticipate that he’ll be on the field right away,” Donahoe said. “The most important thing is for us to get him healthy. When he can endure the rigors, we’ll put him out there.”

McGahee agreed to a five-year deal that could potentially be worth $15.53 million. The contract includes a guaranteed two-tiered $4.15 million bonus, the second part to be paid at the end of the season. The deal is also heavily laden with incentives that more than double a base contract worth just over $7 million, including bonuses.

As part of the agreement, the Bills hold the option to keep McGahee for a fifth season.

“We’re very pleased,” McGahee’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus said. “They were very fair to Willis by structuring a deal that, including incentives, will give him the chance to be paid as a top 10 pick.”

McGahee, the 23rd player selected, has spent the last month in his native Miami and is scheduled to travel to the Bills training camp facility in suburban Rochester on Wednesday.

If placed on the non-football injury list, McGahee could begin practicing between the sixth and 10th weeks of the season and, if deemed healthy, cleared to play. There’s also a chance the former Miami star could miss the entire season, recovering after tearing three ligaments in his left knee during the Hurricanes’ loss to Ohio State in last January’s Fiesta Bowl.

“We’re still talking about a guy who’s only seven or eight months (removed) from surgery,” Donahoe said. “There are certain strength levels he needs to meet, and he’s not there yet.”

Donahoe also suggested the Bills could have McGahee on the roster, but keep him inactive for games until he’s healthy.

Rosenhaus said he’ll leave the decision on McGahee’s

status to the Bills, even though he expects his client to be playing before the end of this season.

“Frankly, I want Willis to do what’s best for his future,” Rosenhaus said. “But I think he can impress a lot of people and be a factor this year. I expect that, by the end of the season, for Willis to make a definite impact, let me assure you.”

Before getting hurt, McGahee was projected to be one of the top three picks in the draft after he set school records with 1,753 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns last season.

McGahee’s agreement to a contract leaves only one first-round pick unsigned – Jacksonville quarterback Byron Leftwich, the No. 7 selection.

Donahoe said there was an urgency to get the contract completed despite McGahee’s status.

“Number one, because he’s a Buffalo Bill,” Donahoe said. “He’s a professional football player now. He needs to get on with that phase of his life.”

AP-ES-08-12-03 1942EDT