New England Patriots have recently managed to get some maneuvering options for future moves thanks to veteran running back Rex Burkhead. According to ESPN’s Field Yates, Burkhead agreed to rework his contract enabling the Pats to gain close to $1 million in cap space.
Burkhead finds himself in the last year of his contract with New England and was set to make $2.5 million in base salary. The new deal now gives the 30-year-old RB a $550K signing bonus, while dropping his base salary to $1.05 million. He will also receive a $400K roster bonus instead of $500K.
The move was an important one for New England, as they only had around $250K in space to work with before the restructure. Burkhead, on the other hand, gets a reassurance that he’ll have his spot on the 53-man roster.
Rex Burkhead has been with Patriots since 2017 and emerged as a versatile player who can contribute both in running and passing game. In the past three years, Burkhead had 1,416 yards and 12 touchdowns combined, while helping New England win a Super Bowl in 2018.
Burkhead is expected to be Pats’ No.4 back this year, with Sony Michel, James White, and Damien Harris considered locks for the first three spots on the depth chart.
