New England Patriots: 15 best free agent acquisitions of all-time

• 3x Super Bowl champion (XLIX, LI, LIII)
• 727 career total tackles
• 54 career pass deflections
• 11 career interceptions

Most people might only know Patrick Chung as the crying Patriot who broke his arm during Super Bowl LIII. If so, then it’s unfortunate… because Chung is arguably one of the game’s most underrated players at his position in the NFL today.

Chung was originally drafted by New England back in 2009. He entered the league as a second-round pick out of Oregon and spent his first four seasons with the team. During that span, he battled a slew of injuries and competition from players like Brandon Meriweather, James Sanders and Steve Gregory for significant playing time.

Ultimately, it was a shoulder injury he sustained in 2012 that opened up the door for Devin McCourty to transition from cornerback to safety. When Chung returned from the injury later that same season, he had already lost his starting job to McCourty and was forced to see limited action as a backup and a situational player.

Unhappy with his lessened workload, Chung signed a three-year, $10 million contract with Chip Kelly’s Philadelphia Eagles in March 2013. Less than a year later, he was a free agent again after a somewhat-sudden release from the team.

New England gave Chung another shot by inking him to a team-friendly one-year deal back in 2014. The former Duck has been a Patriot ever since.

He was a major contributor in Belichick’s secondary that season, helping lock down offenses like the Baltimore Ravens, the Indianapolis Colts the and Seattle Seahawks en route to winning his first championship ring in Super Bowl XLIX.

Two seasons later, Chung and the Patriots were back in the Super Bowl after defeating the Houston Texans and the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Playoffs. Chung finished with five tackles and two passes defended against the Atlanta Falcons, earning his second ring along the way.

In both 2017 and 2018, Chung has had the unfortunate luck of needing to leave the Super Bowl early to tend to an injury. In Super Bowl LII against his former team in the Eagles, it was a concussion that knocked him out of action.

A broken arm took him off the field in Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, but Chung was at least able to return for the celebrations and trophy presentation ceremony, albeit with his arm in a sling.

Named a team captain for the first time last year, Chung is both a proven winner and a respected leader on the team.