By The Associated Press

The NFL’s Most Valuable Player is staying put in Seattle, a rare big name who didn’t change his address Monday.

Shaun Alexander signed the richest contract for a running back in NFL history, an eight-year, $62 million deal with the NFC champions. His gamble to take a one-year agreement with the Seahawks in 2005 as the franchise player paid off handsomely.

Alexander’s agent, Jim Steiner, told The Associated Press the contract includes more than $15.1 million in guaranteed cash through signing and other bonuses and 2006 base salary. The $62 million total exceeds the eight-year, $60 million contract LaDainian Tomlinson signed with the San Diego Chargers in 2004.

“This contract is truly a blessing. To be the highest paid running back ever is quite an honor,” Alexander said. “It’s pretty good.”

So is Alexander.

The All-Pro who also was the league’s Offensive Player of the Year, ran for a league-high 1,880 yards and an NFL-record 28 touchdowns in leading the Seahawks into their first Super Bowl, which they lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He became one of Seattle’s most popular players with his outgoing personality.

“Everybody knew this is my city,” Alexander said. “I wanted to play here and my goal when I first got here was to do stuff Seattle had never seen before.

“It’s really simple. When you have good people and everybody is going after the same things, it’s easy to make the decision about coming in.”

Leaving their teams are veterans Isaac Bruce, LaVar Arrington, Junior Seau and Kevin Mawae.

The Rams cut star receiver Bruce, their longest-tenured player, after talks broke down on a restructured deal. But new coach Scott Linehan termed the release a “temporary setback,” blaming the lack of a collective bargaining agreement for the move.

The 33-year-old Bruce had a salary cap figure of $10 million for next season. He was due a $1.5 million roster bonus as part of an $8.1 million salary. That was the final year of a seven-year, $42 million contract he signed in 2000.

A member of the Rams since 1994, the year before they moved from Los Angeles, Bruce is the franchise’s career leader in receptions (813), yards receiving (12,278) and touchdowns receiving (77). He also caught the game-winning touchdown pass in the Rams’ lone Super Bowl victory after the 1999 season.

Arrington, a three-time Pro Bowl linebacker, severed ties with the Washington Redskins by agreeing to forgo $4.4 million so he could become a free agent.

By cutting Seau, the 37-year-old linebacker who became a star with San Diego and made 12 Pro Bowls, the Dolphins saved $2.92 million.

Seau missed 17 games the past two years due to injury, finishing both seasons on injured reserve.

A day after the Jets cut him, outspoken center Mawae said he was not looking to retire.

“I still believe that I’m probably the best guy on the market. I guess people look down on 35-year-old centers who make the Pro Bowl six times,” Mawae said Monday.

Mawae spent eight years with the Jets, making the Pro Bowl from 1999-2004. One of his biggest sources of pride was his ability to stay healthy. But he missed the last 10 games of 2005 with the torn left triceps, ending his streak of consecutive starts at 177. That was third on the active list at the time.

Two other frequent Pro Bowlers signed contracts Monday. Running back Ahman Green signed a one-year deal to stay in Green Bay. Green missed most of last season with a torn tendon in his right leg. A four-time Pro Bow player, Green rushed for more than 1,100 yards in each of the previous five seasons for the Packers, and also became a prime receiver for Brett Favre.

Six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle La’Roi Glover signed a three-year contract with St. Louis. Glover, 31, was released by Dallas last week.

“He’s a great player, still has some really good years left in him,” Linehan said. “He’s quietly confident.”

Glover has 711/2 career sacks, second all-time among defensive tackles behind Warren Sapp’s 841/2, and led the NFL with 17 in 2000. He had 211/2 sacks in four seasons with the Cowboys.

Linebacker Derek Smith re-signed with San Francisco, passing on the possibility of free-agent riches to sign a three-year deal with the teams he has led in tackles for five straight seasons.

AP-ES-03-06-06 2138EST