It appears two key members of the New England Patriots’ special teams unit will be sticking around for the considerable future.
The Patriots have signed punter Ryan Allen to a three-year contract extension, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday morning, citing Allen’s agent, Sean Stellato. Details of the contract have yet to be reported.
Allen, who went undrafted in 2013 but signed with the Patriots shortly after the draft, has come into his own as a reliable punter for New England. He beat out four-year veteran Zoltan Mesko for the starting job during 2013 training camp and went on to average 45.9 yards per punt, good for seventh-best in the AFC.
Allen increased that average to 46.4 yards per punt in 2014 (sixth-best in the AFC) and set a record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history with a 64-yard bomb in the Patriots’ Super Bowl XLIX win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Patriots now have stability at the punter and kicker positions heading into training camp after signing Pro Bowl kicker Stephen Gostkowski to a four-year contract earlier this month.
Thumbnail photo via Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports Images
