Even though they have MVP runner-up Drake Maye as their starter, the New England Patriots opted to spend a selection in this year’s NFL Draft at the quarterback position. Of course, seventh-rounder Behren Morton was not brought aboard to challenge Maye, but rather as a potential developmental backup.
His status as the 234th pick in the draft naturally reflects this, as does the four-year rookie contract he signed with the Patriots shortly after getting selected.
QB Behren Morton: Contract details
Base value: $4,529,228 Maximum value: TBD
Guarantees: $149,228
Signing bonus: $149,228
2026 (age 24):
Base salary: $885,000
Signing bonus: $37,307
Salary cap hit: $922,307
2027 (age 25):
Base salary: $1,050,000
Signing bonus: $37,307
Salary cap hit: $1,087,307
2028 (age 26):
Base salary: $1,165,000
Signing bonus: $37,307
Salary cap hit: $1,202,307
2029 (age 27):
Base salary: $1,280,000
Signing bonus: $37,307
Salary cap hit: $1,317,307
Morton’s deal looks like others we have discussed previously. His salary each season is the equivalent of the veteran’s minimum at the position relative to experience, while the only guarantee in the pact is the $149,228 signing bonus that is prorated over its four-year span.
Should Morton get released at some point, that bonus would remain on New England’s books as dead cap. At the moment, it also is the sole trace the 24-year-old leaves on the Patriots’ salary cap: with his 2026 cap hit of $922,307 not high enough to qualify for Top 51 status, he currently counts only $37,307 against the team’s books.
Needless to say, Morton is a low-cost investment whose contractual structure would not prevent the team from parting ways with him.
