Patriots reportedly had to overpay to land coveted UDFA receiver
The Pats signed undrafted free agent receiver Efton Chism III to a deal that suggests they had to get aggressive to sign him.
May 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III (86) practices during rookie camp at Gillette Stadium.
Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn ImagesThe New England Patriots signed undrafted free agent (UDFA) wide receiver Efton Chism III last week. The Patriots were very aggressive in the pursuit of Chism, paying him a $234,000 guaranteed base salary along with a $25,000 signing bonus, according to Mike Reiss of ESPN.
Reiss also mentioned in the comments of his original post to X that he believed Chism's deal is the highest the Patriots have paid for a UDFA this offseason.
Chism played college football at Eastern Washington, where he was productive from the slot, per Reiss - which fits into Josh McDaniels' offensive system. He played in 42 collegiate games with 346 receptions, 3,852 yards, and 37 touchdowns.
Considering how aggressive the Patriots were in acquiring Chism, it seems that they are high on the player and may expect him to make the game-day roster. The Patriots have many B-to-C tier receivers in their room, but they lack in the bona fide No. 1 category. Nonetheless, Chism certainly has an opportunity to earn a spot.
Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.
