10 highest-paid Patriots players going into 2024
The Patriots entered the 2024 offseason with a bang by firing Bill Belichick after 24 seasons and replacing him with Jerod Mayo, the former linebacker turned coach. He then filled out his new staff, including making Eliot Wolf the de facto general manager, and the duo have since made some big decisions regarding the team's roster.
Fortunately for them, New England had some of the most cap space in the NFL, and given how much improvement the roster needed, it was the perfect time to have the money to spend.
The new regime has prioritized re-signing and extending some of their most valuable players, hoping to bring stability to the team as they undergo a rebuild and use their money wisely in the process.
They still have plenty of cap space to use heading into training camp, which is something most fans hope they will utilize in extending a few more top players, but they haven't spent frivolously yet, which is the right move.
That's why, when looking at the most expensive contracts for the 2024 season, most of the players near the top of the list were given contracts by Bill Belichick, some of which were and still are maybe a bit too generous. But a few players who recently received extensions are also in the top ten now, many of which Belichick likely would have moved on from.
The 10 highest-paid Patriots players going into the 2024 season
All things considered, the Patriots aren't paying any single player an egregious amount for the season ahead, and they're fortunate to have a quarterback on a rookie contract to help spread the money around.
It also helps that they don't have a top-tier wide receiver on the roster, as those salaries have skyrocketed after a season spent with teams around the league extending the best at the position.
Because of that, most of their highest-paid players are on the defense, which has been the better side of the team for a few years. And according to OverTheCap, the player expected to have the highest cap hit also happens to be a player looking for an extension, which, hopefully, he will receive before training camp begins next week.
Player Name | Cap Hit for 2024 season |
|---|---|
Matthew Judon | $14,675,850* |
Jonathan Jones | $12,573,529 |
Davon Godchaux | $11,800,000* |
Michael Onwenu | $10,941,176 |
JuJu Smith-Schuster | $10,280,392 |
Jacoby Brissett | $7,882,353 |
Deatrich Wise | $7,641,176* |
Kyle Dugger | $7,500,000 |
David Andrews | $6,675,000 |
Drake Maye | $6,661,775 |
* indicates players who have already earned all of their guaranteed money
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