The New England Patriots made a big move at the wide receiver position this week. Alas, it isn’t the one that many fans have been waiting for. No, DeAndre Hopkins isn’t bringing his talents to Gillette Stadium, at least not yet.
Instead, the Patriots agreed to a long-term extension with wide receiver DeVante Parker. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Patriots agreed to a three-year extension with the former first-round pick out of Louisville worth up to $33 million. The contract includes $14 million in guarantees and a per-game roster bonus.
His agent, Jimmy Gould, deserves a raise for negotiating that deal. Throughout the offseason Parker has been considered a potential cap casualty for the Patriots, who added JuJu Smith Schuster in free agency, have Kendrick Bourne and Tyquan Thronton on the roster and drafted two wide receivers, Kayshon Boutte and Demario Douglas, in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
To say this Parker extension is surprising would be an understatement. After spending his first seven seasons in the NFL with the Miami Dolphins, Parker was traded to the Patriots, along with a 2022 fifth-round pick, in exchange for a third-round pick in last year’s draft on April 2nd, 2022.
Parker had one big season with the Dolphins, in 2019, when he caught 72 passes for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. He hasn’t come close to those numbers in the three seasons since. In his first season in New England, he played in only 13 games, catching 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns.
Those numbers don’t scream extension worthy, let alone for the amount of money that he signed for. But, there must have been something that the Patriots saw that they liked in Parker to commit to him through the 2025 season.
Given how much money has been committed to the former first-round pick, it is clear that he is part of the team’s long-term plans going forward. He is being paid like someone that is projected to have a big role in the team’s offense not only in 2023 but beyond.
What does that mean for their other pursuits? It very well could take the Patriots out of the running for Hopkins, especially if he is looking to cash in on a valuable contract. It would be hard to envision Bill Belichick and company handing out a third lucrative deal to a wide receiver this offseason.
