2022 NFL free agency: Patriots re-sign offensive tackle Trent Brown on reported two-year contract

The New England Patriots offensive line lost two starters last week, but another is staying put after all. As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots and offensive tackle Trent Brown have agreed on a new two-year contract.

Brown, 28, originally entered the NFL career as a seventh-round draft pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2015. He held the team’s starting right tackle spot for two seasons, but was eventually traded to the Patriots during the 2018 draft.

In New England, Brown served as starting left tackle and helped the team win a Super Bowl — positioning himself for a major payday the following offseason: he signed a four-year, $66 million contract with the then-Oakland Raiders to become the highest paid offensive lineman in football. His tenure with the Raiders was a disappointment, though, and Brown returned to New England last offseason.

Once back with his old team, the veteran quickly assumed a starting position again. However, his first game back was a short one: the veteran lineman hurt his calf just seven snaps into the season opener and was eventually forced to miss considerable time because of the issue.

Brown made his return in Week 10 against the Cleveland Browns, and never looked back. He ended the season as the undisputed top option at right tackle and as such appeared in nine regular season games as well as New England’s playoff loss in Buffalo; he was on the field for a combined 553 out of 1,169 offensive snaps (47.3%) but rarely left the field when healthy.

While the full details of the contract are not available just yet, Brown staying put is good news for a Patriots team that already lost two starters along its O-line. Left guard Ted Karras signed with the Cincinnati Bengals in free agency last week; New England also traded right guard Shaq Mason to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for a fifth-round draft choice.