What Lawrence Guy Said About Patriots Contract Drama, Retirement Mindset

FOXBORO, Mass. — Lawrence Guy participated in the first two days of Patriots training camp after holding out of spring practices due to a reported contract dispute.

So, the issue is resolved or on the verge of being resolved, right?

Well, it’s hard to tell.

Guy, 33, has two years left on his current contract but isn’t guaranteed any money in either season. So, it’s understandable that an older defensive tackle who’s played a lot of football at a physically taxing position would want more financial security.

Guy was asked about the situation following Thursday’s Patriots practice, and he toed the line between deflecting and actually answering.

“Me and my agent have been in discussions with this organization and we’re gonna keep that private between us,” Guy said when asked whether his presence at training camp indicates he’s satisfied with his contract situation.

Set to enter his seventh season in New England, Guy then was asked whether his participation suggests there’s confidence a new deal will be reached.

“I’m here, I got a big smile on my face,” he said. “I’m gonna do whatever I can for the organization and work as hard as I can. … We play this game to be on the field and be a brotherhood.”

Lawrence Guy wouldn't say much about his contract talks with the Patriots. Wanted to keep it private.

Did say the birth of his child factored into skipping OTAs, and said he didn't consider retirement pic.twitter.com/o3JmGqvrrb

— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) July 27, 2023

Guy revealed he and his wife welcomed a child around the time that spring practices took place, and that those commitments factored into his decision to not report for mandatory minicamp. Despite his off-field responsibilities and on-field uncertainty, Guy never considered retiring during the offseason.

“Retirement’s in everybody’s mind nowadays,” he said with a laugh. “People are retiring after two, three years. But no, I’m still enjoying the game. When I’m done enjoying this game and I feel like I need to hang them up, then I’m gonna hang them up. But right now, I’m just happy that my kids are out here and able to see me play. …

“I just wanna build these memories and enjoy every down I can. Enjoy the meetings. People say the meetings are boring, because they are. But you can enjoy the experience of being in the room because a lot of people are not in our situation right now.”

Still, it was hard to leave Guy’s media availability without feeling like there still is much ground to cover between the Patriots and one of their most important defenders.

“I’m here,” Guy said when asked whether he considered holding out of training camp. “This is what I chose to do. I’m here for training camp.”