Patriots’ New Leadership Promises Player Loyalty with Record-Breaking Contract Extensions

Trust us seems to be the message from New England Patriots’ new leadership group this offseason as they aim to keep their budding stars happy despite a disappointing 4-13 season in 2023. The team has gone against its tradition of rarely extending players on second contracts, which are generally the most lucrative deal of a player’s career, by investing heavily in some of its own standouts this year – defensive tackle Christian Barmore is the latest example following deals worth $207m signed earlier in January by Michael Onwenu and Kyle Dugger. The shift from former head coach Bill Belichick’s era reflects an effort to show players that while they didn’t always get paid before, now with this leadership team in place, they will be compensated for their hard work on the field. These contract extensions are part of a larger initiative by new coaches Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf aimed at earning back trust lost under Belichick’s regime as well as repairing relationships that were damaged between players and media members last year due to his tough coaching style. As this is all very much welcomed news for the Patriots’ locker room, some pundits may suggest the deals constituted overpayment. With an AAV of $23.5m (initial contract numbers indicate), Barmore’s deal tied him with seventh in league among interior defensive linemen and Onwenu ranked fifth-highest paid right tackle while Dugger was sixth highest-paid safety – all more than previous deals Belichick has agreed for players on second contracts. But, as Mayo and Wolf aim to rebuild the team into a winning side once again, it remains to be seen whether these investments will pay off in future seasons or prove costly mistakes.