Patriots Sign OL To Two-Year Extension

With two weeks to go until the end of the regular season, the New England Patriots are continuing to get ahead of next year's free agency class.

According to his agency, reserve offensive lineman Ben Brown has signed a contract extension with the team and he will avoid restricted free agency in 2026.

ESPN's Mike Reiss later reported that the contract was a two-year extension, tying Brown to the Patriots until 2027, and is worth up to $6.6 million. The base value of the deal is around $5 million.

Brown has been solid in his second season in New England. As one of the team's top backups, his versatility has been evident across all three interior offensive line positions. As a spot starter, he's slotted into the starting lineup 12 times over the last two seasons with the Patriots, making two starts at left guard this year in replacement of the injured Jared Wilson.

Ben Brown Will Remain In New England Next Season

When he's in the lineup, he's been a solid cog for the Patriots' resurgence at offensive line. Originally being signed off of the Las Vegas Raiders' practice squad to last year's active roster, Brown was the team's primary center after longtime starter David Andrews went down. He played well enough to earn a restricted free agent contract with the Patriots ahead of this year, and now he's earned a second one.

Earlier this year, Brown spoke about making the start at guard after playing at center most of his NFL career.

Nov 10, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New England Patriots center Ben Brown (77) celebrates the win against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

"It’s not too new for me because I played it a lot more in college than I did center, so I already had a lot of experience there prior to," Brown said. "And coming into the NFL, being able to play all three interior spots is so important. I feel like I’ve had that experience before and it’s not something that’s completely new to me."

Brown initially made his way to the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Ole Miss. He bounced around a couple of teams after he was first signed by the Cincinnati Bengals, and now he's been able to find a home in New England.

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