The New England Patriots not only agreed to a four-year extension with Rhamondre Stevenson, but they agreed to make him the seventh highest-paid running back in the NFL on a per-year basis.
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Stevenson’s new deal is worth upwards of $36 million with $17 million guaranteed.
It puts the Patriots’ fourth-year running back in line with the best in the league, including Christian McCaffrey, Alvin Kamara, Jonathan Taylor, Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs and Joe Mixon.
Stevenson is now seventh on the list, following a mostly up-and-down 2023 season that ended with him racking up 619 yards and four touchdowns.
Rhamondre Stevenson’s extension makes him the 7th highest-paid RB in the NFL on a per-year basis:
🏈Christian McCaffrey: $19M
🏈Alvin Kamara: $15M
🏈Jonathan Taylor: $14M
🏈Saquon Barkley: $12.583M
🏈Josh Jacobs: $12M
🏈Joe Mixon: $9.875M
🏈Rhamondre Stevenson: $9M— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 20, 2024
Some valid concerns come with the new deal considering the only basis for a big-money contract for Stevenson came from his monstrous 2022 season.
He exploded that year with 210 carries for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns.
The Patriots are banking on that being who Stevenson truly is as a running back. However, there’s also the very real possibility that he caught lightning in a bottle on a one-time effort.
Injuries were an issue for Stevenson last season, and at times, the team actually looked better with Ezekiel Elliott running the football. Of course, one season is too short to formulate any definitive opinions on the matter.
However, the one opinion in the room that really matters is coach Jerod Mayo’s. When speaking with the media at minicamp, it was clear that he viewed Stevenson as one of the better running backs in the league.
“I will say this about Rhamondre: I think he’s one of the better backs in the league, it’s no doubt about it,” said Mayo, via Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan. “I think over the last few years, it’s been kind of tough on him, as far as getting started.
“So, I’m excited to see what he does this season. And look, he’s earned everything that he gets. He is our starting running back and hopefully we do get something done.”
The Patriots placed a high value on Stevenson’s talent, and they were able to act on that belief as the richest team in salary cap space.
Stevenson will have to do his part to prove he’s worth it on the football field. It would be hard to look at some of the other names in the top-10 and justify a 600-yard rushing season. He’s going to need to step up in 2024, and he’ll have to do so behind a struggling offensive line and questionable depth at running back.
Not having Elliott on the roster could mean a heavier workload for Stevenson, which once again brings back the injury concerns. This extension is a roll of the dice on a great player for New England, but the looming questions and concerns are also too great to ignore.
