The New England Patriots, fresh off a productive 2024 NFL Draft, have reportedly extended their young defensive tackle Christian Barmore. According to ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler, Barmore and the Pats have reportedly agreed to a four-year extension worth up to $92 million — $41.8 million of which is guaranteed.
Barmore, 24, saw major growth on the field last season. The 2021 second-rounder had 8.5 sacks in 2023, up from 2.5 the year before. His 64 tackles almost equal his tackles from 2021 and 2022 combined. He had 13 tackles for a loss, more than six times his 2022 total of two. And after recording 7 QB hits in 2022, he more than doubled his total with 16 in 2023. With numbers like that, extending Barmore was a no-brainer for the Pats.
This contract hands Barmore a massive raise. He was set to earn a base salary of $1.82 million in 2024, which was the final year of his deal. While we don't know how Barmore can increase the value of his contract to $92 million, if he manages to do that, he would make an average of $23 million a year. Even if he only earns the guaranteed $41.8 million, that's still over $10 million a year.
Extending players like Barmore is important for the Patriots as they seek to rebuild following the end of the Bill Belichick era. With Jerod Mayo at the helm for his first NFL Draft, the Pats snagged QB Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick to headline their 2024 draft class, which earned an A-minus grade from Yahoo Sports' Charles McDonald.