With the NFL legal tampering period looming, the New England Patriots have re-signed one member of their original 14-player free agency class. Third-string quarterback Tommy DeVito, who entered the offseason as a restricted free agent, was retained on a two-year contract extension at a base value of $4.4 million.
Now the 55th highest-paid QB in football in terms of his new deal’s average annual value, DeVito is fairly well-compensated for a player who spent all of 2025 as a healthy game day scratch.
Nonetheless, the Patriots apparently like what they have in DeVito as a look at his contract structure as first reported by Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston shows.
QB Tommy DeVito: Contract details
2026 (age 28):
Base salary: $1,150,000 (fully guaranteed)
Signing bonus: $325,000
Roster bonus: $425,000
Workout bonus: $75,000
Incentives: $1,500,000
Salary cap hit: $1,550,000
2027 (age 29):
Base salary: $1,600,000 ($200,000 guaranteed)
Signing bonus: $325,000
Roster bonus: $425,000
Workout bonus: $75,000
Incentives: $1,500,000
Salary cap hit: $2,425,000
Anything can happen in the NFL, but DeVito’s new contract seemingly puts him in a good spot to make the Patriots’ roster in 2026. Besides his signing bonus proration, after all, the team also opted to guarantee his entire $1.15 million salary. That sum may not prevent the team from cutting him, but it shows that it is feeling good about his chances to compete for a backup spot behind starting QB Drake Maye.
Will he realistically challenge returning second-stringer Joshua Dobbs? That remains to be seen, but the framework of his deal — plus the fact it exceeds Dobbs’ in length — suggests that the possibility very much is in play.
As for the second year, its combined guarantees drop to $525,000. That sum is not insignificant, but still relatively easy to move on from if the Patriots plan on doing so.
Overall, the pact is a good one for both sides. It gives the Patriots a relatively cheap backup quarterback for the next two years regardless of what happens with Dobbs, and it also allows DeVito some financial stability and the opportunity to further increase his cash intake through per-game roster bonuses classified as not likely to be earned as well as a combined $3 million in playing time and team success incentives.
