The New Orleans Saints signed Pro Bowl and All-Pro special teams ace J.T. Gray to a contract extension last month, reports NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. It’s a one-year contract worth $750,000, which is standard for someone with Gray’s limited NFL experience. Underhill added that the deal was signed on Feb. 7.
But he’s accomplished quite a lot in just a short time. Gray is a fixture on the punt and kickoff coverage units, having played nearly as many snaps on special teams (285) as Taysom Hill last year (287), only missing time with an early-game leg injury against the Chicago Bears after just three plays. Other than that, Gray was on the field for more than half of the special teams snaps run in every game the Saints played last season.
Not bad for someone who was a dark horse to even make the opening-day roster. Gray signed with the Saints as an undrafted rookie out of Mississippi State, and at the time was overlooked by other rookie free agent signings like Cincinnati cornerback Linden Stephens, Western Kentucky tight end Deon Yelder, and Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett. It’s a testament to the work he’s put in that he’s playing so often and racking up the accolades while those other players are looking for opportunities on other teams.
