David Andrews wanted to stay put with the New England Patriots, and the feeling was always mutual. The 28-year-old was faced with the option of heading out of Boston in 2021, but instead has reportedly inked a four-year deal, per Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, and the numbers are quite team-friendly. The max value of the contract is only $19 million and it includes $6.5 million fully guaranteed, numbers that certainly help the organization as they navigate a salary cap lowered to $182.5 million this offseason.
Andrews also has the chance to earn upwards of $2 million in incentives, per Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, with added bonuses if he plays in each of the first 32 games of the four-year deal. It’s a contract tailor-made for both sides to smile about, and they are all undoubtedly doing just that at the moment.
The two-time Super Bowl champion began his NFL career as an undrafted free agent of the Patriots in 2015, after making a name for himself at the University of Georgia. He quickly ascended to the role of starter in New England, where he’s been since his rookie season.
In 72 games with the Patriots, Andrews logged 69 starts (nice), and other than a bout with injury here and there — the most recent being thumb surgery that helped cost him four games in 2020 — he’s been one of the most durable players on the roster. He did suffer a tremendous scare in 2019 when a pulmonary embolism was discovered, costing him the entire season, but he returned to start in 12 games the following year. It’s a big keep for a team that unloaded the chamber in the first wave of free agency with the hopes of righting the ship in the post-Tom Brady era.
Retaining the offensive lineman who was once the heartbeat in front of Brady for four seasons is sure to help in that effort. Andrews will now try to help lift Cam Newton back to the Super Bowl, and whomever else they put behind him between now and the end of the 2024 season.