Josh Uche reportedly gave the New England Patriots a heck of a hometown discount.
According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the young pass rusher turned down more money in free agency to return to the Patriots this season. Pelissero reports that Uche had an offer that was worth $15 million over two years with $11 million guaranteed.
Instead, Uche returned to the Patriots on a one-year, $3 million deal that could be worth up to $8 million, per Pelissero, who notes that Uche’s “heart was in New England.”
That’s a lot of money Uche left on the table to come back to the Patriots, especially in terms of guaranteed money.
The 25-year-old pass rusher has had an up-and-down run in New England. Uche has always been a dynamic athlete on the edge, as he showed during his breakout season in 2022, when he notched 11.5 sacks. However, Uche’s production dropped in 2022, when he finished with 3.0 sacks.
Uche’s regression in 2023 coincided with star pass rusher Matthew Judon missing most of the season due to injury. With Judon set to return in 2024, Uche could be gearing up for another strong season.
That could also help explain why Uche took the deal he did. The one-year deal on the cheap could also represent Uche betting on himself with a one-year “prove it deal.” If Uche posts double-digit sacks again in 2024, he could hit the market in the prime of his career and line up a huge pay day.
However, Uche has made it clear that it’s not all about the money. He’s spoken about his desire to remain in New England, especially when it comes to playing under new head coach Jerod Mayo.
“He’d be a coach I want to play for. I’d run through a wall for him,” Uche said. “I love players coaches. Guys that take it deeper than the x’s and o’s. It’s more personal. You want to go out and do a good job because you know you have someone behind you that’s backing and supporting you. I’m all in on Mayo.”
