Rhamondre Stevenson agrees to four-year, $36 million contract with Patriots

The New England Patriots are getting ahead of the ball with running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Ahead of his fourth season in the NFL, the team has agreed on a contract extension for four years, $36 million. The Patriots selected Stevenson out of Oklahoma in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Now, he’ll be with the team through the 2027 season after ending 2023 on Injured Reserve.

Stevenson went down with a high ankle sprain in the Patriots’ 6-0 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Dec. 3. The team opted to shut him down for the rest of the year with a move to IR. He was a critical piece of the Patriots’ struggling offense before his injury.

Although he only played in 12 games, he still led the team with 619 rushing yards — 70 more than Ezekiel Elliott — while also scoring a team-high four touchdowns on the ground at the time of his ankle sprain.

The 2022 season was a breakout campaign for Stevenson as he ran for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns. In his rookie season, he posted 133 carries and 606 yards in 12 games played. He also had five rushing touchdowns, bringing his three-year total up to 14.

Stevenson’s new contract extension includes $17 million in fully-guaranteed money, according to NFL insider Adam Schefter. His rookie deal was for four years, $4.22 million. Without a contract extension, the former Sooners star would have become a free agent at the end of the season. His new deal makes him one of the top-10 highest-paid running backs in a market that has devalued his position over the last several years.

More on the 2024 NFL offseason, free agency

The NFL 2024 calendar year began at 4 p.m. ET on March 13. At that time, contracts running through 2023 officially ran out, making those players free agents. Prior to the beginning of free agency, teams had a chance to designate one franchise or transition tag player, starting on Feb. 20 at 4 p.m. ET and ending on March 5. Beginning March 11 through March 13 teams could enter into a legal negotiation with players who will become unrestricted free agents.

In addition to NFL free agency, the new year also marked the beginning of all trades being made official by the league office. April 19 marked the deadline to sign restricted free agents to offer sheets. On April 24, the deadline for teams to match restricted free agent offer sheets hit.