Just one day after the New England Patriots signed veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker on a multi-year contract extension, the team did the same for sixth-year linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley.
Bentley and the Pats have agreed to terms on a two-year, $18.75 million max deal that includes $9 million fully guaranteed, per NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
Sources: The #Patriots and LB Ja’Whaun Bentley have agreed to terms on new contract extension, as he gets a 2-year, $18.75M max deal that includes $9M fully guaranteed. Another day, another starter locked in for the future. 🔒 pic.twitter.com/xfrzn4RxPw
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) June 29, 2023
The Patriots selected Bentley with a fifth-round pick in the 2018 draft and his production has steadily increased over his five years in Foxborough. This past season, he notched a career-high 125 tackles and 3.0 sacks through 17 starts.
On Wednesday, the Pats signed Parker on a three-year contract extension worth up to $33 million. Both of these deals help the team save against the salary cap heading into the 2023 season.
New England is also considered the favorite to land free-agent wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. If that deal does go down, it’s expected to happen just before training camp in late July.