The New England Patriots and guard Joe Thuney are no closer to a contract extension as they were in mid-March when the team placed the franchise tag on the guard, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Thuney signed the franchise tag, and is set to earn $14.78 million in 2020. Because that’s a sizable payday for Thuney, he has little incentive to rework his deal into an extension. That extension would grant him long-term financial security, but if Thuney, who hasn’t missed a game in his NFL career, hits the free agency market next year, he’ll likely see a tremendous market for his services.
Because Thuney has such good leverage, the Patriots seemed likely to trade Thuney after placing the tag on him, rather than retain or extend him. Alas, they did not, and seem intent upon keeping him — at least for 2020, when he’ll help the team transition away from quarterback Tom Brady.
