In contrast to years past, there has been no shortage of moves from the New England Patriots during this legal tampering period. In the beginning stages of this new era with coach Jerod Mayo and de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, the Patriots have been a mainstay in the news, whether it is because of re-signing their own players or making outside additions.
One of those re-signings includes former second-round edge rusher Josh Uche from Michigan. The 25-year-old is returning to Foxboro for a fifth season after agreeing to a one-year, $3 million deal, with incentives that could see it rise to $8 million. Essentially, the former Wolverine has signed a prove-it deal that will keep him in Foxboro for another season before potentially allowing him to test free agency again next year.
Not only could Uche's re-signing be considered a surprise because many believed that his asking price was going to be too high, but a new report from NFL.com's Tom Pelissero revealed that he turned down a bigger deal to do so.
"Josh Uche had several offers, including one worth $15 million over two years, with $11M fully guaranteed," Pelissero writes. "But his heart was in New England, and he opted to return for less ... A rare time a player makes the final call and doesn't chase the money."
After his first two seasons in the league didn't produce anything to write home about, as he totaled a combined 21 tackles, five for a loss, and four sacks, Uche broke out in a big way for the Patriots in 2022.
Playing as a sub-package edge rusher, Uche totaled 27 tackles, nine for a loss, and 11.5 sacks, which made him second only to Matthew Judon at getting to the quarterback in New England. This breakout season led many to believe Uche was going to play himself out of Foxboro with another strong year.
However, that isn't exactly how things played out last season. Instead of seeing another full season with the pass-rushing duo of Judon and Uche, the Patriots only saw it for four games before Judon went down with a season-ending bicep injury. Meanwhile, with the 31-year-old Judon out for the season, Uche failed to replicate his career year.
The former Wolverine totaled 15 tackles, three for a loss, and three sacks while playing in 15 games. Despite being far from the season many expected from Uche, he still garnered interest from around the league, with even one team, as Pelissero notes, offering him a bigger deal than he received from the Patriots.
In many ways, the decision from Uche not to chase the proverbial "bag" is the type of selfless decision that embodied the "Patriot Way."
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