Patriots defensive lineman Lawrence Guy has already earned $1 million of his 2022 salary

The New England Patriots have already paid parts of defensive lineman Lawrence Guy’s contract. According to salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, Guy has earned a guarantee of $1 million by being on the contract on the third day of the 2022 league year.

Under the contract he signed with the Patriots last March, Guy is set to play on a $2 million base salary this season. Half of it has already been earned.

Earning the guarantee has no impact on Guy’s $4.5 million salary cap number, but it does lessen the potential cap savings in case he is released. Instead of a $750,000 dead cap charge — i.e. money that would remain on the books even if a player is cut — the Patriots would now take on $1.75 million compared to net savings of roughly $1.9 million.

In case Guy gets traded, however, the guarantee would not impact New England’s payroll. Instead, the acquiring team would take on his entire salary including the guaranteed portion of it.

Guy, 32, is entering his sixth season as a Patriot. Originally joining the league as a seventh-round draft pick by the Green Bay Packers in 2011, he arrived in New England in 2017 as a unrestricted free agent. Guy made an immediate impact and has been a valuable member of the team’s defensive line along the way — appearing in a combined 87 regular season and playoff games and helping the Patriots win Super Bowl LIII. He also was named a member of the organization’s Team of the 2010s.

Last season, Guy appeared appeared in all 18 of New England’s games and was on the field for 49.3 percent of defensive snaps. While he registered only 15 quarterback disruptions and had some ups and downs, the veteran produced another solid season overall.