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The New England Patriots don’t have too many wide receivers signed to long-term contracts, so it’s a good sign there’s an ongoing contract extension negotiation between the team and Chris Hogan, per The Athletic’s Jeff Howe.
Chris Hogan and the Patriots have had negotiations regarding a contract extension, but the two sides remain a bit too far apart at the early stages of the process, per source. Doesn’t mean they can’t make up ground in the coming weeks. But again, the process is ongoing.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) August 16, 2018
“These negotiations could be tricky because the market for a No. 2 WR jumped to $8M annually last offseason,” Howe adds. “That [money] would exceed Edelman’s value. Wouldn’t be surprised if the Patriots countered with something like, if you want it, prove it without Edelman in September.”
Julian Edelman is the only other veteran receiver that is under contract after the 2018 season, so an extension with Hogan would provide some continuity at the position for the next couple of seasons.
Of course, there’s a chance that any of the veterans entering their final year- Phillip Dorsett, Cordarrelle Patterson, Kenny Britt, or Eric Decker- could perform well enough to earn an extension, but the odds are pretty strong that the team will double-dip at the position in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Will Hogan get his extension? He turns 30 years old in October and he’s surpassed 500 receiving yards just once in his career. While he’s shown plenty of potential in the Patriots offense and I believe he’s primed for a big year, he’s yet to put all his talent together for a full season.
As Howe notes, Hogan will have to prove that he deserves to be paid more than Edelman in order to get an extension because wide receivers are getting paid a silly amount of money in free agency.
Paul Richardson signed a 5-year, $40 million deal with Washington, despite having a mere 1,307 yards and 8 touchdowns over his first four seasons in the league. Albert Wilson is also getting $8 million per year from the Miami Dolphins after gaining just 1,626 yards and 8 touchdowns over the past four years.
Chris Hogan has 2,025 yards and 15 touchdowns over the past four seasons and compares more closely to Donte Moncrief (1,896 yards, 18 touchdowns) who is getting $9.6 million from the Jacksonville Jaguars this year.
Will the Patriots shell out for Hogan? I could see the two sides agreeing to an incentive-heavy contract that provides a base deal similar to Edelman’s $5.5 million per year, with an opportunity to get paid upwards of $8 million if he cracks key milestones like 1,000 yards or 10 touchdowns. But I have a hard time seeing the team handing him that money outright.