Rhamondre Stevenson decision is Patriots' latest departure from Belichick mentality
The new regime in Foxboro has been making a lot of moves this offseason, mainly in extending some of their most integral players either heading to free agency or set to play on the final year of their contract in 2024.
They made sure to bring back Kendrick Bourne and Hunter Henry, two players who have put together the best seasons of their careers since signing with the Patriots three years ago.
They also extended some of their best young talent over the last few months, including Christian Barmore, Kyle Dugger, and Mike Onwenu, two players who have had solid and consistent production since being drafted.
There are still some negotiations that need to be made, specifically involving Matthew Judon, but the team just made another big move to keep a talented offensive player with the team long-term, as NFL insiders Ian Rapoport and Adam Schefter just reported the extension of Rhamondre Stevenson.
The running back had revealed a new contract was close to getting done last week during minicamp, and it appears he meant that quite literally.
This is the full incentive package for Rhamondre Stevenson, broken down by year and incentive. It begins in 2025 and can give Stevenson’s extension a max value of $48M. https://t.co/90qpi4AHwn pic.twitter.com/cX3kFE17L9
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 20, 2024
Patriots decision on Rhamondre Stevenson is not what Bill Belichick would do
The running back received a four-year, $36 million deal, with $17 million guaranteed and a lot of incentives to remain Drake Maye's go-to in the backfield.
It's a big move for Jerod Mayo and Eliot Wolf for a few reasons. One is the controversial decision to extend a running back, a highly debated topic in recent years. Many players feel teams around the league don't value what the position brings to an offense; hence, so many running backs don't stay with the team that drafted them beyond their rookie contracts.
Bill Belichick seemed to subscribe to that philosophy throughout his career, only keeping a few RBs around during that time. It seemed fair to believe he wouldn't have re-signed Stevenson had he remained the head coach and GM of the Patriots this offseason, making Mayo and Wolf's decision even more highlighted.
It's clear they have a lot of faith in Stevenson's talent. He's already expressed his desire to take on more responsibility on the offense this fall, and now he has $36 million reasons to accomplish that.
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