Patriots Rework, Add $4.3 Million To Rob Gronkowski’s Contract
The New England Patriots and reps for all-world tight end Rob Gronkowski have officially reworked No. 87’s contract, adding up to $4.3 million to his 2018 deal, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Patriots reworked TE Rob Gronkowski’s contract, adding $4.3 million to his contract this year, per @RosenhausSports
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2018
Added $1 million in per game bonuses and $3.3 million in incentives, boosting max value to $13.050 million. Similar to Tom Brady structure. pic.twitter.com/XYy6xIg5Iu
Per Schefter, the contract comes with similar incentives as the recently reworked Tom Brady deal, and will add $1 million in per game bonuses and $3.3 million in incentives to Gronkowski’s 2018 payday.
Rob Gronkowski now can earn $1.1 million for 70 or more catches, $1.1M for 80 percent playtime, $1.1M for nine or more TD catches, $1.1M for 1,085 receiving yards. He can make three of those four, boosting salary another $3.3M. Base salary remains 8M. Still has two years left.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2018
The additions could make the 29-year-old’s contract worth over $13 million this season.
Earlier this week, and in the immediate aftermath of Shaq Mason’s $50 million extension with the Patriots and Odell Beckham Jr.’s monster deal with the Giants, Gronkowski talked about the fact that he was ‘open’ to any sort of contract restructuring before the start of the season.
Gronkowski, who considered retirement this offseason, is coming off a 69-catch, 1,084-yard 2017 season that included eight touchdown grabs, and a playoff run that saw Gronkowski haul in 16 of his 27 targets for 218 yards and three touchdowns in all.
And given their current depth issues at wide receiver (and with Julian Edelman out for the first four weeks), keeping Gronkowski happy before the start of the regular was undoubtedly in the team’s best interest considering his expanding role.
“My role expands depending on my capabilities on the practice field, what I’m showing, what the coaches want me to do, what the coaches have planned for the game plan that upcoming week,” Gronkowski said. “It’s up to myself, what role I can create myself and what I can do out there on the field and that’s what it basically rolls down to. If I’m showing them I can line-up out wide, line-up inline, catch a pass wherever I am, then I’m sure the coaches would gameplan me to be wherever I need to be.”
With the additions to his contract, the 6-foot-6 Gronkowski could become the game’s second-highest paid tight end in 2018 in total cash, narrowly behind the Packers’ Jimmy Graham ($13.25 million) but ahead of Carolina’s Greg Olsen ($12.35 million).
