The New England Patriots started free agency week by making a couple of fullback moves. Besides using the exclusive rights tender to retain Jack Westover, they also signed veteran Reggie Gilliam to a three-year contract worth $10.8 million.
While those moves mean that the Patriots now have three fullbacks signed for 2026 — Gilliam, Westover and sophomore Brock Lampe — the money invested in the trio speaks a clear language. Gilliam will be the team’s featured fullback for the foreseeable future, and a look
at his contract details confirms this.
FB Reggie Gilliam: Contract details
Base value: $10,800,000
Maximum value: $12,000,000
Guarantees: $6,000,000
Signing bonus: $2,400,000
Salary (2026): $1,300,000
Salary (2027): $2,300,000
2026 (age 29):
Base salary: $1,300,000
Signing bonus: $800,000
Roster bonus: $595,000
Workout bonus: $105,000
Incentives: $400,000
Salary cap hit: $2,800,000
2027 (age 30):
Base salary: $2,300,000
Signing bonus: $800,000
Roster bonus: $595,000
Workout bonus: $105,000
Incentives: $400,000
Salary cap hit: $3,800,000
2028 (age 31):
Base salary: $2,700,000
Signing bonus: $800,000
Roster bonus: $595,000
Workout bonus: $105,000
Incentives: $400,000
Salary cap hit: $4,200,000
Ladies and gentlemen, meet the highest-paid fullback in the NFL. While his contract does not stand atop the table in terms of annual average value ($3.6M) or full guarantees ($6M), the total $10.8 million volume of Gilliam’s pact reigns supreme among his position group.
As for the structure of the deal itself, it effectively guarantees Gilliam a spot on the roster in 2026 and also makes for a favorable outlook in 2027. His guarantees in both of those seasons, after all, are substantial and include the two years’ base salaries as well as his prorated $2.4 million signing bonus. That would not prevent the team from moving on, especially post-June 1, 2027, but it suggests that he is in the team’s plans for at least two seasons.
What that means for the aforementioned Jack Westover and Brock Lampe, meanwhile, is anybody’s guess. The former could move back to his old spot at tight end, serving as a positionally-flexible blocking option at two spots. The latter, meanwhile, might be a developmental candidate to potentially challenge Gilliam in 2027 or 2028.
As far as 2026 is concerned, however, there is no doubt. Barring incident or accident, the NFL’s highest-paid fullback will lead the position group in New England this year.
