The particulars of Adrian Phillips’ New England Patriots contract extension were revealed Friday.
The safety’s new deal is a three-year, $12.75 million pact that runs through the 2024 season. It includes a $4.75 million signing bonus and $5.87 million in fully guaranteed money, plus an additional $1.65 million guaranteed for injury in 2023, according to details shared by ESPN’s Field Yates.
Phillips can nearly double his modest base salary — $1.12 million in 2022; $1.65 million in 2023 and 2024 — through roster bonuses worth $50,000 per game in the first year of his contract and $75,000 per game in the final two.
Phillips will carry salary cap hits of $3.18 million in 2022 and $4.18 million in 2023 and 2024, per The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin.
Overall, this is an excellent deal for the Patriots, who locked up one of their best defensive players at an extremely affordable rate.
The 29-year-old Phillips is Pro Football Focus’ seventh-highest-graded safety this season, with Spotrac projecting his offseason market value at $9.7 million per year. New England was able to retain him for a $4.25 million AAV, which ranks 25th among NFL safeties, coming in just behind ex-Patriot Eric Rowe.
Phillips, who was in the final year of the two-year, $6 million contract he signed in 2020, ranks tied for second among Patriots defenders in interceptions with four this season (including one pick-six), third in tackles with 77 and fourth in passes defended with eight. He said New England’s culture and the ability to play for head coach Bill Belichick motivated him to re-sign early rather than test free agency.
“This is a city built on football, and I just love it, so it was easy for me to get something worked out to stay here,” Phillips said after last week’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The playoff-bound Patriots will close out the regular season Sunday afternoon against the Miami Dolphins.
