TEMPE, Ariz. -- Christmas came early for Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Corey Peters.

Peters, 29, signed a three-year extension to stay in Arizona through the 2020 season, the team announced Friday. It's worth around $12 million, a source told ESPN.

“I think everything kind of worked out well,” Peters said. “I wanted to stay. It seems like they wanted to get a deal done. It’s been a few-week process, but I’m very happy to move forward and have another three years here.”

At the beginning of Peters’ media gaggle to talk about his new deal, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald took over a microphone and began asking the eight-year defensive lineman what he’ll do with the money from his new deal.

“I’m going to pay the mortgage and I’m going to pay the light bill,” Peters said dryly. “Probably keep food in the fridge.”

Peters said the entire process of getting his extension done took about three weeks. He checked in with his agent, Greg Linton, whenever the two sides talked, but other than that Peters let the negotiations run their course.

Peters is in the final year of a three-year contract worth about $9 million that he signed as a free agent in 2015.

Peters said he knew he wanted to stay in Arizona, but the idea of being a free agent in March didn’t play into his decision to get a deal done before he hit the open market.

However, the idea of securing his future in a place his family enjoyed living did.

“It’s very important to me,” Peters said. “Especially when you find a home where you like it, you like the city, you like the fans, everything that comes along with it.

“It was just a great opportunity for me.”

To Peters, being happy was worth more than any contract another team would have offered him in free agency. He proved that Friday.

“I just think that when you know where you want to be and they were able to work with me and get to where I thought we needed to be financially, I didn’t think there was no point of me waiting and potentially getting more in free agency,” Peters said. “That’s always a possibility.

“I think happiness is the most important thing, to me anyway. Money comes and goes, but it’s better to be in a situation where you’re pleased, where you’re happy, where your family is happy, where you can go home and have some peace of mind. That’s what’s important to me.”