The Patriots have extended one of their veteran playmakers for the foreseeable future.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension with veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker. Parker, who was second among Patriots wide receivers in snaps last season, was heading into the final years of his current deal as a pending free agent in 2024. Parker's new extension ties him to New England through 2025, and the total value of the deal is also heavy on per-game roster bonuses and performance-based incentives, per reports. Essentially, Parker gets more earning potential if he hits his incentives and long-term security, while the team keeps a useful player in the fold.
Parker now joins free-agent addition JuJu Smith-Schuster, second-year WR Tyquan Thornton, and rookie receivers Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte as Patriots wide receivers who are under contract beyond 2023, with Kendrick Bourne heading into the final year of his deal.
On the field, Parker brought the size and contested catch ability that New England was hoping for when they acquired him via trade with the Miami Dolphins last offseason. The 30-year-old caught 31 passes for 539 yards and three touchdowns in 2022. Parker also caught ten of his 19 contested targets, leading to ten receptions of 20-plus yards, which was second on the team only to Jakobi Meyers. The six-foot-three wideout also led the team by averaging 22.0 yards per catch against man coverage a year ago, producing big plays on the outside for New England, and is currently the Patriots only true "X" receiver on the roster, which might've been added motivation to keep him in the fold.
Although there are legitimate concerns about age and durability, Parker was an efficient receiver averaging 11.5 yards per target last season, which ranked second among 92 wide receivers with at least 45 targets. When healthy, Parker is an effective player.
As for how this relates to New England's pursuit of DeAndre Hopkins, on the surface, it might seem unlikely that the Patriots would extend Parker and add Hopkins to the mix, and it's now a guarantee that Parker won't be pushed off the roster by Hopkins. However, Parker's new deal likely creates cap space for the Patriots, which could free up money for the Pats to continue talks with Hopkins and secure Parker for the long term.
Although it's unclear how much cap space Parker's new deal creates, this does not close the door on the Patriots signing Hopkins. In fact, it gives them more wiggle room to negotiate a deal with the star wide receiver or pursue other free agents, such as running back Dalvin Cook.
The Patriots have found a solid new pass-catcher for quarterback Mac Jones in Parker and now have him under contract through the 2025 season.
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