Patriots Sign Undrafted Rookie Duo to Record-Setting Contracts

The New England Patriots signed 12 undrafted free agents to their roster following this year's NFL Draft, and two of them are already setting franchise records.

Fairly early into the undrafted free agency process, the Patriots agreed to terms with UCF running back Myles Montgomery, who put together a really productive career at the college level. Because of this, the Patriots gave him the largest undrafted free agent contract of combined guarantees in team history.

Montgomery's three-year deal with New England includes a total of $272,500 in guarantees, beating the previous record set by tight end CJ Dippre ($264,000) just last season. It was well deserved, as the 23-year-old team captain ran for 1,546 yards and 11 touchdowns during his college career with Cincinnati and UCF.

But Montgomery's hefty contract was the only large sum of cash that the Patriots handed out. They also agreed to terms with cornerback Channing Canada on a contract worth $267,000 in guarantees -- the second-highest in franchise history.

Montgomery, Canada Sign Historic Contracts

Canada comes to New England by way of TCU, where he started every game last season and had 30 tackles as a senior. His contract also surpassed Dippre and wide receiver Efton Chism III, who signed a $259,000 contract last season and was previously the second-most expensive UDFA deal.

New England Patriots cornerback Channing Canada — May 9, 2026; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Kyle Dixon (83) and cornerback Channing Canada (29) run drills during the New England Patriots rookie camp at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

New England handing out these expensive contracts shows how much money continues to be generated within the NFL, but also gives some insight on how the team views each player. For Montgomery, he'll be competing with Terrell Jennings, Lan Larison and fellow rookie Jam Miller for a spot on the 53-man roster. In Canada's case, he'll be fighting for one of the few reserve defensive backs spots in a fairly crowded secondary.

Because of these deals, the Patriots have already tipped their hand about who they value. Last season, Chism stuck around on the active roster all season, while Dippre was released during final roster cuts and later signed with the practice squad. By the middle of the season, the tight end was called up to the active roster.

Both players didn't contribute a whole lot on game days -- Chism did have one touchdown against the New York Jets -- but were players the coaching staff spoke highly about during the year. If history is any indictator, it seems like Montgomery and Canada could be heading down that same path in 2026.

Undrafted Rookies Get Plenty Of Guaranteed Money

The Patriots' entire undrafted free agent class received $1.13 million in total guarantees. The Boston Globe's Ben Volin broke each of the signings down from their base salary and signing bonus.

Montgomery: $272,500 ($247,500 base + $25,000 signing bonus)
Canada: $267,000 ($247,500 base + $20,000 signing bonus)
WR Kyle Dixon: $252,500 ($235,000 base + $17,500 signing bonus)
TE Tanner Arkin: $162,500 ($145,000 base + $17,500 signing bonus)
OG Jake Rizy: $85,000 ($75,000 base + $10,000 signing bonus)
WR Cameron Dorner: $40,000 ($30,000 base + $10,000 signing bonus)
WR Nick DeGennaro: $35,000 ($25,000 base + $10,000 signing bonus)
OG JonDarius Morgan: $10,000 signing bonus
CB Kenneth Harris: $7,500 signing bonus
WR Jimmy Kibble: $0 guaranteed money
LB Khalil Jacobs: $0 guaranteed money
CB Brandon Crossley - 2025 UDFA: $0 guaranteed money

Undrafted defensive tacke David Blay's contract details were not made available.

Each of the rookie's signing bonus are given to the players no matter what, but the base salary numbers will only impact New England's cap space should they be released from the roster/practice squad.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!

Add us as a preferred source on Google