2022 NFL free agency: Bengals reportedly sign former Patriots guard Ted Karras to 3-year, $18 million deal

The New England Patriots have reportedly lost their first player of the 2022 offseason.

The Cincinnati Bengals have reportedly come to terms with free agent guard Ted Karras on a 3-year, $18 million contract as first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Karras, 28, is entering his seventh season in the NFL and will join his third club in three years after agreeing to join the Bengals. Originally entering the league as a sixth round draft pick by the Patriots out of the University of Illinois, Karras spent the first four years of his career as a rotational player on New England’s interior. Prior to the 2020 season he would sign with the Miami Dolphins, starting all 16 games for Miami while serving as a team captain.

He returned to New England as a part of their large free agency class this past offseason, agreeing to a one-year pact prior to New England re-signing David Andrews to serve as their center. He started the season off as a reserve player but ended up serving as the Patriots full time left guard down the stretch, starting 14 straight games down the stretch.

With the departure of Karras, it is expected that former starting left guard Michael Onwenu will return to that role in 2022. Karras played 75% of New England’s offensive snaps last season, while Onwenu played in 62% as he often was the first fill in for injured players and was used as a blocking tight end for a good chunk of New England’s early down plays.