Not only is David Andrews not leaving the Patriots just days after Joe Thuney departed…
Not only is Andrews returning for the 2021 season after many assumed he’d replace Ted Karras in Miami and suddenly become a division rival…
…but Andrews is, instead, reversing course and hunkering down in New England…for the next. Four. Years.
Having cap space? It’s great, actually.
NFL insider Field Yates announced the Andrews deal at the buzzer Thursday night, and after fighting back from a terrifying blood clot that wiped out his 2019 season, one of the Pats’ all-time locker room presences has chosen to run it back.
And back again, and back again, and back again.
It’s a four-year deal for David Andrews to return to the Patriots. https://t.co/TrbfpgVYfJ
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 19, 2021
Remember the myth that Patriots players universally didn’t enjoy their time under Bill Belichick? Recall the idea from a few weeks ago that they’d be fleeing en masse down to Tampa to join Tom Brady?
Cackling.
David Andrews has returned to the Patriots on a 4-year deal.
Andrews’ return was so unexpected that his departure was treated as a foregone conclusion by insiders like Jeff Howe upon the completion of the Ted Karras signing, which was…Wednesday. Time flies.
As recently as Thursday afternoon, the Dolphins were eyeing Andrews as a direct replacement for Karras, as were the Packers and Falcons. Heck, Julian Edelman said goodbye to Andrews on Thursday afternoon. This whole thing was DONE done.
Instead, Andrews got his “wish” and convinced the Patriots to lend some of their hard-earned cap space to one of the region’s most beloved players.
In other words, Andrews will only savagely be waving goodbye from hereon out, not earnestly waving goodbye to a place he’s grown to love.
https://twitter.com/thecheckdown/status/1087189790045261826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1087189790045261826%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fboston%2Fpatriots%2Fdavid-andrews-savagely-waved-goodbye-chiefs-fans-after-patriots-overtime-td
The Patriots may not get any plaudits locally for “winning the offseason,” but they’ve done a masterful job of adding free agents in their desired image (hello, two-tight end sets!) as well as retaining their own leaders.
Andrews, already written off entirely, will now be staying for the long haul. Forget the cap implications. This is a massive win.
It’s almost a wonder they didn’t retain Thuney, too, at this point.
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