The New England Patriots have re-signed edge rusher Josh Uche to a one-year deal, according to Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL media.
Garafolo notes that Uche had “much more on the table” to play elsewhere, but he elected to return to the Patriots.
Uche is coming off of a very disappointing 2023 campaign in which he played 15 games and logged just 15 tackles and three sacks.
The 25-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Michigan, was selected by New England in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
A foot injury limited him to just nine contests during his rookie year, and during his time on the field, Uche managed only nine tackles and a sack.
The following season, Uche participated in 12 games and still made minimal impact, finishing with 12 tackles and three sacks.
Uche finally broke out in 2022, playing in 15 games and racking up 27 tackles, 11.5 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles. He also totaled 14 quarterback hits.
It appeared that Uche was on the verge of ascending into the upper echelon of pass rushers in the league, but he took a major step back this past year.
Obviously, the Pats are banking on the Miami native having a bounceback season in 2024, but they also want him to prove himself, hence the one-year pact.
The Patriots went just 4-13 in 2023, marking their worst finish since 1992.
New England ultimately parted ways with head coach Bill Belichick after 24 years and is now coached by Jerod Mayo.
We’ll see what Mayo can do with the team next season.
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