The New England Patriots had four months to settle a contract extension with starting left guard Joe Thuney after putting the franchise tag on him in mid-March. However, the two sides did not reach an agreement, which means that Thuney will play the 2020 season in what is essentially a one-year, $ 14.78 million contract.
What the future holds for the Patriots and their old third-round investment is up in the air and will depend on several factors, but both are in limbo beyond this season. This appears to be especially true when looking at the Patriots’ previous use of the franchise tag under head coach / general manager Bill Belichick, and how similar situations like Thuney’s were handled in the past:
- 2002: Kicker Adam Vinatieri signed a three-year, $ 5.4 million contract.
- 2003: security Tebucky Jones He was tagged and traded to the New Orleans Saints for third and seventh round draft picks in 2003 and a fourth round in 2004.
- 2005: Kicker Adam Vinatieri He played the 2005 season with the $ 2.51 million franchise tag before signing with the Indianapolis Colts the following offseason.
- 2007: Corner Asante Samuel It lasted until the end of August, but finally played the 2007 season with the $ 7.79 million tag before signing with the Philadelphia Eagles the following offseason.
- 2009: quarterback Matt Cassel He was tagged and traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, along with linebacker Mike Vrabel, for a second-round pick in 2009.
- 2010: defensive tackle Vince Wilfork signed a five-year, $ 40.0 million contract.
- 2011: guard Logan Mankins signed a six-year, $ 51.0 million contract.
- 2012: wide receiver Wes Welker He played the 2012 season with the $ 9.5 million franchise tag before signing with the Denver Broncos the following offseason.
- 2015: Kicker Stephen Gostkowski signed a four-year, $ 17.2 million contract.
As you can see, the Patriots found themselves in situations similar to Thuney’s three times in the past two decades: Adam Vinatieri (2005), Asante Samuel (2007), and Wes Welker (2012) failed to reach contract extensions with New England before the deadline and finally went on to play the respective seasons under the label. After those seasons ended, all three left the team through free agency without restriction.
Therefore, the historical context does not seem favorable for Thuney and the Patriots who find a long-term solution. All that said, each contract is unique in its own right and the sample size is too small to draw definitive conclusions on how the Patriots will handle Thuney compared to, most recently, Wes Welker. All options are still on the table at the moment, even though the timeline has changed a bit considering that a new deal can’t be signed until after the regular season.