FOXBORO, Mass. -- Josh Uche racked up just four combined sacks over his first two seasons with the Patriots. He nearly tripled that production in 2022.
The 2020 second-round pick didn't play much during his rookie season and his sophomore campaign wasn't much better. But Uche was a breakout star last season, posting 11.5 sacks while emerging as an electrifying force off the edge in New England's defense.
He won an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award. Matthew Judon called him the best pass rusher on the Patriots.
For many players, that kind of success would lead to an inflated ego. But Uche is committed to staying humble and understanding that last season's performance won't mean anything if he regresses in 2023.
"I just feel like if you get so big-headed on what you did in the past, you're going to trip up trying to get where you want to go," Uche said Thursday at Gillette Stadium. "I try to leave that where it's at and understand this is a new slate. This is a new season and there's new opportunities. If I'm worried about the past, then I can't capitalize on the future."
Uche is entering the final season of his rookie contract. If he manages to replicate last season's production, let alone exceed it, he likely will land a significant contract in free agency. Star edge rushers are a hot commodity in the NFL.
But the Michigan product doesn't want to get ahead of himself. If Uche stays in the present and takes care of his business, the money will come.
"Comes back to controlling the controllable," Uche said. "All I can do is come in each day, work as hard as I can.
" ... The rest will just fall into place. I can't control that right now."
