Robert Spillane stands 50 starts into his NFL career.
As legal tampering opened, the New England Patriots closed in on an off-the-ball linebacker.
The organization agreed to terms with unrestricted free agent Robert Spillane on Monday afternoon, as first reported by NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.
Spillane, 29, has appeared in 86 games, starting 50, since entering the league as an undrafted rookie with head coach Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans in 2018. The Western Michigan product went on to spend four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where a core role on special teams was earned along with sub-package duties on defense. He then joined the Las Vegas Raiders in 2023. AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors followed.
A veteran of 497 tackles and 8.5 sacks, Spillane’s NFL run has brought one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. It has also brought six interceptions and one touchdown return.
Spillane overlapped with new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels during his tenure in the AFC West. And while there, the 6-foot-1, 229-pound middle linebacker served as a team captain into Antonio Pierce’s time as head coach. He started every game in the process of setting new bests in back-to-back campaigns with 148 and 158 tackles.
Only safety Tre’von Moehrig saw more defensive snaps for the Raiders over that span. In 2023, Spillane handled 1,101 downs, good for 97.1 percent of the workload. And in 2024, he handled 1,095 downs, good for 98.2 percent of the workload.
He now heads to Foxborough on a three-year deal worth $37 million, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
The official start of the NFL year is set for Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET.