Patriots Rumors: Rex Burkhead Agrees to New Contract; Down to $1.05M from $2.5M

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The New England Patriots restructured the final year of Rex Burkhead‘s contract, according to ESPN's Field Yates.

New England handed the veteran running back a three-year, $9.75 million deal in 2018. Yates reported the Patriots freed up a little bit of salary-cap space by reworking the terms of his 2020 payout.

Field Yates @FieldYates

Source: the Patriots and RB Rex Burkhead have agreed to a reworked final year of his contract. Burkhead gets $550K to sign and drops his base salary from $2.5M to $1.05M, with $400K available in roster bonuses (down from $500K). The move creates $981,250 in cap space.

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Mike Reiss of ESPN alluded to how the 30-year-old might have been on the roster bubble, tweeting that Tuesday's move “further solidifies Burkhead's roster spot.”

The Patriots have the least amount of cap space in the NFL ($992,341), so shedding whatever salary they can provides some much-needed relief.

Burkhead is entering his fourth season with the Patriots. He has run for 752 yards and eight touchdowns in 31 appearances for the team. He signed a one-year contract as a free agent in 2017.

Barring injuries to New England's backfield, Burkhead's role is unlikely to grow in the upcoming year. Sony Michel led the team in rushing (912 yards), and 2019 third-round pick Damien Harris will presumably see more action after logging only four carries as a rookie.

The Nebraska product will continue to provide value as a situational option, with head coach Bill Belichick calling him “one of the most versatile players on our team” last September.

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