New England Patriots RB Rex Burkhead has accepted a reduced salary in 2020 in a clear effort to stick with the team. The Patriots and Burkhead agreed to a reworked deal for 2020, the final year of his deal, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Burkhead will get a $550,000 signing bonus, but his salary will fall from $2.5 million to $1.05 million and his bonuses will fall from $500,000 to $400,000, per Yates. That creates $981,250 million in cap space, and should get the Patriots’ cap space to just over $1 million.
It’s a sign that Burkhead was on the roster bubble heading into camp, in part because New England needed to free up cap space. The running back position, which is extremely deep, might be a way for the Patriots to make that space. But Burkhead’s pay reduction will likely go a long way in ensuring he’s on the roster in 2020.
Burkhead will compete for snaps behind Sony Michel, the top rushing back in 2019, and James White, the top pass-catching back. Burkhead isn’t just a contributor on first, second and third downs. He’s also a special teams standout, and is one of the more versatile players on the team. Perhaps his pay had exceeded his contributions, particularly with his seasons getting shortened due to injuries in recent years. But this is a clear signal the Patriots want to retain him.
He’ll have to fight with Michel, White, Damien Harris, Brandon Bolden and undrafted rookie J.J. Taylor for a roster spot. Even after a pay cut, Burkhead’s roster spot isn’t necessarily safe.
