Report: Patriots, Patrick Chung Agree to Two-Year Extension

The New England Patriots and safety Patrick Chung have agreed to a two-year contract extension, according to ESPN insider Field Yates.

The Patriots and S Patrick Chung have agreed to a two-year extension through 2023, per sources. Chung gets $3M to sign and is now due up to $12.8M over the next four years. One of the most reliable players on their standout defense.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 20, 2020

New England locks up their veteran safety through 2023. Chung gets a $3 million signing bonus and will be owed $12.8 million over the next four years, per Yates. Chung gets an additional $1.6 million this season, which will make his total compensation for 2020 $5 million. His compensation in 2021 - which is $2.6 million - remains unchanged, according to NFL Media's Mike Garafolo.

On #Patriots S Patrick Chung's extension @FieldYates tweeted: He gets an extra $1.6 million this season for total compensation of $5 million in 2020. Next year's comp ($2.4 million) remains unchanged. Still no word on possible suspension for drug charges last year.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) May 20, 2020

The deal was likely done in an effort to create some cap relief. According to ESPN's Mike Reiss, giving Chung an extension creates $925,000 in cap space for the Patriots, which will likely be used in some capacity to sign safety Kyle Dugger, who was New England's second round pick in this year's draft and was the team's only draft pick that hadn't been officially signed yet.

Chung has been a pivotal part of the Patriots' secondary for the past decade. His ability to play in the box and cover larger receivers and tight ends has proven to be an incredibly valuable asset for Bill Belichick's defense during New England's second decade of continued success.

At 32 years old, Chung's days are numbered in the NFL moving forward. That may be why the Patriots signed former All-Pro safety Adrian Phillips during free agency - who is a versatile safety that can play in the box as well as deep - and drafted Dugger - who can play a very similar role to that of Chung. Bringing in those players will allow Chung to play in a more limited capacity, which may help extend his NFL career.