Christian Barmore Contract Extension

New England has retained another important player on their defense, 2021 second-round pick Christian Barmore. Barmore is coming off the best season of his short career in which he posted 8.5 sacks, 16 QB hits, 13 tackles for loss and 64 total tackles. The goal of becoming a draft and develop team, per director of scouting Eliot Wolf, is becoming clearer with this deal. The Patriots have also reached agreements with Kyle Dugger, Mike Onwenu, Josh Uche and Anfernee Jennings, all of whom were drafted by the Patriots.

Terms of the Deal

Barmore signed a four-year, $83 million extension that will keep him in New England through the 2028 season. With still one year left on his rookie deal, the new contract length is five years. Barmore's new AAV (average annual value) is $20.75 million, which makes him the 11th highest-paid defensive tackle in the league.

Guarantees/Incentives

This extension includes an $18 million signing bonus, $31.88 million guaranteed at signing and $41.82 million guaranteed. The $31.88 million guaranteed at signing includes the $18 million signing bonus, 2024 P5 (base) salary ($1.88 million), 2025 P5 salary ($10 million) and $2 million of his 2026 P5 salary. 

On the third league day of 2026, another $10 million of his 2026 P5 salary becomes fully guaranteed. 

Starting in 2025, if Barmore earns a Pro Bowl selection, he will get a $500,000 bonus, and if he earns an All-Pro selection, he’ll get another $500,000. There are also markers he must hit for sacks and snap percentage that he must hit to get another $500,000 bonus. Lastly, there are workout bonuses of $225,000 in 2025 and 2026, as well as $300,000 in 2027 and 2028.

Per Game Active Bonus

• 2025-2026: $75,000 ($1.275 million)

• 2027-2028: $100,000 ($1.7 million)

Cap Breakdown

With Barmore still having to finish the last year of his rookie contract, this extension does make some small alterations to his 2024 cap hit. His $18 million signing bonus will be prorated over the five years of his new contract, meaning his 2024 cap hit increased by $3.6 million. Things could get interesting after the 2025 season as his only guarantees run through the 2024 and 2025 seasons (other than the $2 million P5 guarantee in 2026). If New England did want to move on from Barmore after the 2025 season, they would take on about a $13 million dead cap hit and save about $4.3 million. The key date to watch would be the third league day of 2026, as his P5 guarantee goes from $2 million to $10 million.

Cap Hit by Year

- 2024: $6.31 million
- 2025: $15.1 million
- 2026: $17.1 million
- 2027: $23.6 million
- 2028: $24.6 million

Cash Breakdown

As stated before, there aren't any guarantees in Barmore's contract after the 2025 season other than the $2 million P5 guarantee. This could be a potential out for New England if they wanted to move on from Barmore. However, I highly doubt they do. Barmore will earn most of his cash during this upcoming season due to his signing bonus, and as of now, 2027 and 2028 will be his highest cash payouts due to his $18 million P5 salary. 

Cash Flow by Year

- 2024: $19.82 million
- 2025: $11.5 million
- 2026: $13.5 million
- 2027: $20 million
- 2028: $20 million

Contract Table

Final Thoughts

This is a great deal for the Patriots as they lock up one of the best young defensive linemen in the league and have structured the contract in a way that doesn't tie them to guarantees late in the deal. If Barmore continues to improve and develop as an elite interior lineman, then this deal will look even better as the years go on.