Rhamondre Stevenson claimed he was "close" to reaching an extension with the New England Patriots as minicamp closed at the beginning of June.
He wasn't lying.
The Patriots on Thursday reached agreement with Stevenson on a four-year extension worth $36 million, including $17 million fully guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media provided some details, reporting Stevenson gets an $8 million signing bonus as part of the deal. He can also earn up to $12 millions in incentives, which include Pro Bowl and All-Pro escalators, to push the deal around $48 million total.
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Stevenson figures to be the focal point of New England's offense, especially under the new scheme that Alex Van Pelt ran successfully with the Cleveland Browns. He's already led the Patriots in rushing yards, receptions and touchdowns during his three seasons with the franchise, and will have an opportunity to keep climbing up the record books with five total years on his deal.
It's been a stop-and-star past few months for the king of contact balance, as he suffered a season-ending injury in early December. You could say things are looking up, though.
Stevenson (2,265) currently sits 18th on the Patriots' all-time leading rushers list, needing to more than double his career total to reach Sam Cunningham (5,453).
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It won't be an easy task for the 26-year-old to complete, but now he has the time to give himself a legitimate shot at it.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
