The Patriots have tacked on an extra year to safety Patrick Chung‘s contract, giving him a raise for 2016 in the process, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com. Yates reports that Chung is now under contract in New England through the 2018 season, with the one-year extension adding $5.7MM in new money to his deal.
As Yates and Jeff Howe of the Boston Herald explain, the new money in Chung’s deal breaks down as follows:
- Signing bonus of $2.4MM.
- 2017 base salary increased by $700K ($1.8MM to $2.5MM).
- 2017 per-game roster bonuses increased by $200K ($200K to $400K).
- 2018 base salary of $2MM.
- 2018 per-game roster bonuses of $400K.
Despite the fact that Chung is getting a raise for 2016, his cap number will actually decrease by $100K, since the Patriots eliminated $900K in likely-to-be-earned incentives from his deal for the coming season. However, the veteran defensive back will have the opportunity to earn up to $1.5MM in total incentives later in the contract now — there’s a $900K not-likely-to-be-earned incentive for 2017, and $600K in NLTBE incentives for 2018.
While the math on Chung’s new extension is a little convoluted, the upshot is that the Pats are pleased with the 28-year-old’s performance and chose to reward him for it. Since returning to New England for the 2014 season, the former second-round pick has started 29 regular-season games and another five playoff contests for the club, teaming with Devin McCourty to form a reliable duo at safety.
In 2015, Pro Football Focus ranked Chung as the fifth-best safety in the NFL, two spots ahead of McCourty.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
I guess they want to lose- i watched him in Philly get burned play after play and I think whatever success he had last year was a flash in the pan. I dont know what role he will play, but if they expose him too mich he won’t succeed.
Makes sense. Pats have lost a ton of games the last 15 years. He plays a certain role in nickel situations, covering tight ends and helps to stop run. New England doesn’t expose their players and put them in bad situations. Plus it isn’t a lot of money.
He was pretty good in 2014 too. Or did you lose a year somehow?