New England Patriots defensive lineman Deatrich Wise Jr. may be entering a contract year, but that doesn’t mean he will take it easy. Wise opened up about the situation in an interview with Patriots Wire’s Jordy McElroy.
Wise has been with the Patriots since 2017, when the team selected him in the fourth round of the NFL draft. He has put together an accomplished career that has seen him record 285 tackles and 29 sacks, in addition to five forced fumbles.
The Arkansas product signed an extension with the Patriots back in March 2021. After the 2024 season, he might be entering uncharted territory as a potential free agent. With that being said, he is remaining focused on the things he can control on the field.
“I approach this like any other year. Go out there, give it your all, give it your best, lead the team to the best I know how, and that’s vocally and physically,” said Wise. “What I do on the field and what I do on the practice field, locker room and meeting room— and I just take everything one day at a time. I can’t really control things I can’t control. I control my effort and my output. And I control what I say and what I do.”
The defensive lineman has been a mainstay on New England’s unit for quite some time now. His consistent production has helped anchor the unit, which has been one of the few positives for New England over the last couple of seasons.
We’ll see if that remains the case in 2024 and beyond.
