What Josh Uche Reportedly Turned Down In Free Agency For Patriots Return

The New England Patriots will return another member of their defense as Josh Uche is set to return on a one-year deal.

Early reports stated that the edge rusher turned down better deals on the free-agent market in order to come back to the Patriots. NFL Media's Tom Pelissero added more context to Uche's negotiations on Tuesday night.

"Josh Uche had several offers, including one worth $15 million over two seasons, with $11 (million) guaranteed," Pelissero shared on the X platform. "But his heart was in New England, and he opted to return for less: A one-year, $3 (million) deal with upside to $8 (million). A rare time a player makes the final call and doesn't chase the money."

Ultimately, returning to the Patriots meant more to Uche than more money and years with other teams. Is that a testament to Jerod Mayo taking over as head coach? Does Uche prefer the defensive scheme in New England compared to with other teams? Whatever his reason was, the 2020 second-round pick will continue his career with the team that drafted him.

Uche returns to the Patriots as Matthew Judon comes back from a season-ending bicep injury, setting up the duo to pressure quarterbacks at the level they did in 2022 when combining for 27 sacks.