NFL free agency 2023: Patriots retain long snapper Joe Cardona on reported four-year deal

The punting and kicking operation in Foxborough will remain in the hands of Joe Cardona.

The New England Patriots have agreed to terms with the free-agent long snapper, as first reported Thursday evening by former teammate Jason McCourty of NFL Network.

According to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, it is a four-year contract that includes a $1 million signing bonus for Cardona, whose active tenure on the organization’s special teams ranks behind only captain Matthew Slater.

Cardona, 30, arrived in the fifth round of the 2015 NFL draft at No. 166 overall. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Navy product played in 140 consecutive games, including playoffs, before being placed on injured reserve last December due to a torn tendon in his foot.

A Patriots All-Dynasty selection whose stay has brought two Super Bowl rings, Cardona previously signed a four-year contract extension in June 2018.

He is accompanied on New England’s current depth chart by Tucker Addington, who was promoted from the practice squad to the active roster to snap in the final three games of the 2022 campaign.