As a 2021 fourth-round choose, the 26-year-old was heading into the ultimate 12 months of his rookie contract. NFL Community’s Ian Rapoport is reporting Stevenson’s new deal is price $36 million, with $17 million in assured cash and an $8 million signing bonus. Based mostly on common annual worth, Stevenson is now the seventh-highest-paid operating again within the NFL.
Stevenson hinted the extension was shut to finish in the course of the Patriots obligatory minicamp final week, the place head coach Jerod Mayo known as him “one of many higher backs within the league.”
“I am excited to see what he does this season,” Mayo continued. “He is earned the whole lot he will get. He’s our beginning operating again.”
The transfer to increase Stevenson follows a pattern for EVP of Participant Personnel Eliot Wolf of retaining New England’s finest gamers. This offseason, the group gave Christian Barmore, Mike Onwenu, Kyle Dugger, Hunter Henry, Kendrick Bourne, Anfernee Jennings, David Andrews, and now Stevenson some long-term safety.
Over the past two seasons, Stevenson has a team-high 2,318 scrimmage yards, whereas he ranked ninth amongst operating backs with 1,461 yards from scrimmage in his breakout 2022 marketing campaign. Stevenson’s manufacturing took a success because the Pats offense hit all-time low in 2023, however most of that was because of the blocking in entrance of him deteriorating.
If the Patriots offensive line can enhance this season, Stevenson has confirmed to be a extremely succesful lead-back who may be among the many league’s most efficient ball carriers. This spring, a trimmed-down Stevenson has regarded poised for a giant 12 months. He has additionally watched Browns star operating again Nick Chubb’s movie to raised perceive new OC Alex Van Pelt’s system.
In Van Pelt’s offense, New England is anticipated to transition to extra outdoors zone run-blocking schemes to construct play-action passes that includes bootlegs off the stretch runs. To make the scheme work, Stevenson, like Chubb, will probably be a serious a part of the offense.
Though the choice to increase a very good participant is comprehensible, there’s potential threat right here with extending a operating again into his late 20s. We’ll have to see how the deal is structured. However historical past tells us that the damage and tear catches as much as operating backs greater than every other place, which is why it is tough for RBs to get second and third contracts within the NFL.