The third-year cornerback is staying put as an exclusive rights free agent.
A week before the official start of NFL free agency, the New England Patriots made their latest re-signing. Cornerback Alex Austin, who had entered the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent, was retained for 2025 via a one-year tender.
The move itself did not make waves on a league-wide scale, but it is still a good one for the team. Let’s assess.
Value signing
Originally entering the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in the 2023 draft, Austin found his way to New England midway through his rookie season via a stint in Houston. He ended up playing in just five games in his first-half season as a Patriot, but already showed some promise as a perimeter cornerback.
An ankle injury limited him to nine games as a sophomore and prevented Austin from properly building on his first season, but the Patriots even under a new coaching staff see him as a player worth keeping around. That decision does not come as a surprise, though: the 23-year-old progressed nicely in both of his first two years with the team, and when healthy could compete for a starting spot in 2025.
Considering that his tender is worth $1.03 million — tying the 36th-highest salary cap number on the roster — keeping him is a low-risk move from New England’s point of view.
Position stability
With Austin staying put for another year, the Patriots now have 60 total players signed. Seven of those are cornerbacks as a look at our up-to-date roster shows:
Cornerback (7): Christian Gonzalez (0), Marcus Jones (25 | PR), Alex Austin (28), Marcellas Dial Jr. (27), Isaiah Bolden (29), Miles Battle (35), D.J. James (30)
All seven of those players ended the 2024 season either on New England’s active roster, injured reserve list or practice squad. The only other cornerback with the team to close out last season who remains unaccounted for is veteran Jonathan Jones, who is set to enter unrestricted free agency next week.
The 31-year-old, like Austin, is a starter-caliber option opposite Christian Gonzalez on the outside. In case the team does not retain Jones in free agency, keeping Austin around ensures that there is at least some core level of stability from the last to the upcoming season.
Eleven free agents left
Speaking of Jonathan Jones, he is one of now eleven Patriots whose contracts are set to expire on March 12 at 4 p.m. ET. Joining him on that list are eight more unrestricted free agents: QB Jacoby Brissett, DT Daniel Ekuale, RB JaMycal Hasty, S Jaylinn Hawkins, TE Austin Hooper, K Joey Slye, DE Deatrich Wise Jr., and ED Oshane Ximines.
In addition, OL Lester Cotton and LB Christian Elliss are both restricted free agents.
Austin, meanwhile, was the lone remaining exclusive rights free agent out of a group of originally four players. Three of them — Austin plus offensive linemen Ben Brown and Demontrey Jacobs — were tendered, while defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms Jr. signed a two-year extension through the 2026 season.
Minimal cap impact
The Patriots tendering Austin as an exclusive rights free agent means that he effectively returns on a one-year deal. That contract carries a $1.03 million salary cap number for 2025, which is enough to qualify for Top 51 status; a reminder: only a team’s 51 highest cap hits are counted versus the salary cap during the offseason.
Austin joining that particular subgroup within the Patriots’ overall roster bumps another player with a lower cap hit from No. 51 to No. 52, resulting in a net loss of cap space. That loss, however, is minimal: the difference is just $70,000 — a minuscule amount considering that New England currently has $134.5 million in salary cap space available, according to calculations by Miguel Benzan.