MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 09: John Simon of the New England Patriots celebrates sacking Ryan Tannehill of the Miami Dolphins in the fourth quarter at Hard Rock Stadium. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Patriots acted quickly to retain edge rusher John Simon at the start of NFL free agency. Now we know the full details of his two-year contract, thanks to ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
Simon’s deal has a max value of $7.125 million, including $1.65 million guaranteed ($900k salary, $750k signing bonus). His salary would jump to $1.5 million in 2020. He can earn another $2 million in each year: $350,000 in per-game roster bonuses (avg. $21,875), $150,000 workout bonus, and $1.5 million in incentives.
Signed during Week 4 after the Patriots placed linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley and running back Rex Burkhead on injured reserve, Simon quickly grew into a regular role in the Patriots’ defensive rotation. He played in 11 of 13 possible games and started two, amassing 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, 17 total tackles, and 2 tackles for loss.
FOXBOROUGH, MA – SEPTEMBER 30: John Simon of the New England Patriots celebrates with Kyle Van Noy after a sack during the second half against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
Simon’s season culminated with a third-down pass deflection in the third quarter of Super Bowl LIII against the Rams.
The six-year veteran brings depth to the edge for the Patriots defense. At defensive end/outside linebacker they’ve lost Trey Flowers and added Michael Bennett, so keeping Simon in the fold for another 1-2 years can help maintain stability in that group.
New England’s defensive end depth chart also includes Derek Rivers, Deatrich Wise Jr., Keionta Davis, Ufomba Kamalu, and Trent Harris.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at matthew.dolloff@bbgi.com.