The New England Patriots entered free agency with a definitive need at wide receiver, especially after announcing their intention to release Stefon Diggs. And while they did not address that need by signing Alec Pierce or trading for A.J. Brown — two players the team had previously been linked to — it eventually found a wideout to add to the roster.
Romeo Doubs, who spent the first four seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers, joined the Patriots on a four-year deal with a base value of $68
million and up $39 million in guarantees.
While those numbers make Doubs the 26th highest-paid wide receiver in football in terms of average annual value ($17M), a closer look at the contract shows that it is actually quite team-friendly. In fact, one could make the argument that it is a two-year deal with two extra seasons added on.
WR Romeo Doubs: Contract details
Base value: $68,000,000
Maximum value: $80,000,000
Guarantees: $39,000,000
Signing bonus: $15,000,000
Salary (2026): $3,000,000
Salary (2027): $13,000,000
Salary (2028): $4,000,000 (injury only)
Roster bonus (2026): $1,700,000
Roster bonus (2027): $1,700,000
Workout bonus (2026): $300,000
Workout bonus (2027): $300,000
2026 (age 26):
Base salary: $3,000,000
Signing bonus: $3,750,000
Roster bonus: $1,700,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2026): $75,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2027): $75,000
Incentives: $3,000,000
Salary cap hit: $8,600,000
2027 (age 27):
Base salary: $13,000,000
Signing bonus: $3,750,000
Roster bonus: $1,700,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2026): $75,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2027): $75,000
Incentives: $3,000,000
Salary cap hit: $18,600,000
2028 (age 28):
Base salary: $14,000,000
Signing bonus: $3,750,000
Roster bonus: $1,700,000
Workout bonus: $300,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2026): $75,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2027): $75,000
Incentives: $3,000,000
Salary cap hit: $19,900,000
2029 (age 29):
Base salary: $15,000,000
Signing bonus: $3,750,000
Roster bonus: $1,700,000
Workout bonus: $300,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2026): $75,000
Workout bonus guarantee (2027): $75,000
Incentives: $3,000,000
Salary cap hit: $20,900,000
There are two reasons why Doubs’ deal can be categorized as team-friendly. Not only is it quite tradable in every season from here on out, it also allows New England to move on as early as the 2028 offseason without having to absorb a significant dead cap hits or a loss of cap space relative to projected savings.
The reason for that is the structure of the guarantees. While the deal does include $35 million guaranteed at signing (plus a $4 million injury guarantee in 2028), the front-loaded nature of that money gives the team a relatively easy out after two seasons: all of his salary guarantees come in 2026 and 2027, as do his roster and workout bonus guarantees.
Those roster and workout guarantees, which also can be found in guard Alijah Vera-Tucker’s contract, still have to be earned by Doubs. They do, however, help protect his roster spot over the next two years. Of course, as noted above, the outlook changes after the 2027 season and with no salary or roster guarantees left at that point.
Then again, the hope is that no such discussions would have to be had and that Doubs played up to the contract the Patriots gave him last week — earning the right to remain with the team in 2028 and 2029.
