Josh Uche spent his first four NFL seasons as a member of the New England Patriots. Uche and the team agreed to make it five on Tuesday. According to reports, Uche and the Patriots have agreed on a one-year deal for him to return to Foxboro.
NFL Network was the first to break the news. Their reporter Mike Garafolo said Uche had “much more on the table elsewhere” but returned to New England.
The Patriots selected Josh Uche in the second round (No. 60 overall) in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Michigan. He appeared in 21 games over his first two seasons. Uche recorded 21 tackles (17 solo), 4.0 sacks, five tackles for loss, and 11 QB hits over that span. He enjoyed his breakout year in 2022. He recorded career highs across the board. Uche finished with 27 tackles (23 solo), 11.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss, and 14 QB hits. He was a dominant compliment as a pass rusher to Matthew Judon
Uche’s stock took a hit in 2023 when his sack total fell from 11.5 to 3.0. Not having Judon to occupy offenses’ attention was a factor. He never appeared fully healthy either, though he only missed two games. A one-year deal allows Uche to bet on himself, hoping to return to his 2022 form and hit the market again a year from now.
Josh Uche returns to a linebacker group that features Matthew Judon, Jahlani Tavai, Raekwon McMillan, Joe Giles-Harris, and Sione Takitaki. Anfernee Jennings remains an unsigned unrestricted free agent from last season’s team.
More must-reads: