Prove-It Contract Details Revealed for New England Patriots' Josh Uche

The New England Patriots re-signed multiple free agents, including former second-round draft pick Josh Uche. The edge rusher reportedly accepted a modest, incentive-laden contract.

Bringing back homegrown players like Josh Uche, especially at the right price, was apparently the foundation of the New England Patriots' offseason plan.

"One of the No. 1 priorities we had was to sign our players back," said rookie head coach Jerod Mayo at the league meetings in Orlando. "We want to take care of our own and I think that was really the strategy going into it."

Amidst retaining a number of key offensive pieces, including tight end Hunter Henry and tackle Michael Onwenu, the Patriots agreed to a one-year prove-it contract with Uche, a 2020 second-round edge rusher whose production dipped this past season.

Boston Globe senior writer Ben Volin reported the terms of Uche's deal on Wednesday, and it appears to be rather team-friendly for a pass rusher with double-digit sack potential.

Volin said the $3 million contract contains $2.3 million guaranteed and can grow to $8 million in value through incentives. There is a four-tiered escalation based upon snap percentage with Uche earning an additional $500K for each level reached. If he plays at least 35 percent of snaps, then his sack total will determine how many more $500K bonuses he unlocks. There's also a $500K incentive for making the Pro Bowl on the initial ballot.

Primarily used as a situational pass rusher, the 25-year-old Uche has never played more than 50 percent of snaps in any of his 51 career appearances. After recording 11.5 sacks over 15 games in a breakout 2022 campaign, Uche totaled 3.0 sacks in 331 defensive snaps this past season.

Sam Howell, Josh Uche

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The drop in production may be a partial result of Matthew Judon's absence. With the team's top edge rusher suffering a season-ending injury in Week 4, opponents could concentrate more attention on Uche. Despite the low sack total, he ranked second on the team with 37 quarterback pressures.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported that Uche had multiple offers, including one worth $15 million over two years, but chose to stay home in New England.

"The Patriots were the organization that gave me a chance in the NFL. It's like family. It feels like home, and there's nowhere else I'd rather be than home," said Uche in a team-produced video interview after re-signing.