The start of NFL free agency proper is still five days away, but the New England Patriots keep making moves in preparation of it. On Friday, they re-signed restricted free agent quarterback Tommy DeVito to a two-year contract extension and also decided not to use an exclusive rights tender to keep defensive tackle Isaiah Iton from the open market.
Let’s break down what the two moves mean for the Patriots from a big-picture perspective.
QB Tommy DeVito: Signed to 2-year extension
Status quo preserved: DeVito arrived in New England last August,
getting claimed off waivers after he was cut by the Giants. He spent the entire 2025 season as the Patriots’ third-string QB behind Drake Maye and Joshua Dobbs, which means that bringing him back as a restricted free agent ensures that the status quo in the quarterback room is kept heading into 2026.
QB competition ahead? DeVito is under contract through the 2027 season, which might put him on a path to become Drake Maye’s primary backup at one point in the future. As noted above, Joshua Dobbs, who held that role throughout last year, is still around but he is entering the final season of his own two-year pact. Given that only $1.05 million of his current $4.75 million cap hit is guaranteed, he might have to prove his worth to the organization to even remain on the team until the natural termination of his current pact next spring.
First free agent re-signing: The Patriots entered the offseason with 14 players headed for free agency, including five in the restricted category DeVito was in. We already know that two of those RFAs — OT Yasir Durant and CB Alex Austin — will not be signed before the start of free agency, and that the aforementioned Isaiah Iton had his own tender declined. DeVito, meanwhile, is now the first member of New England’s free agency class to actually be retained.
Minor investment: Initial reports of DeVito’s signing called it a two-year deal worth $7.4 million. That number is not entirely inaccurate, but it is a maximum amount: it includes around $3 million in incentives, according to ESPN’s Mike Reiss, which puts the base value at $4.4 million and the annual average at $2.2 million. This makes DeVito the 55th highest-compensated passer in the NFL right now in terms of AAV, a ranking reflective of his status as a low-end QB2/high-end QB3.
DT Isaiah Iton: Not tendered
Return unlikely: Iton’s exclusive rights tender would have been a one-year deal at a value of $885,000, none of which guaranteed and therefore not impacting the salary cap whatsoever during the Top 51 era that is the NFL offseason. The fact that the Patriots declined to even offer that speaks for itself. While there always is a chance for a player to be brought back at a later point, Iton appears to be headed out the door.
Defensive tackle questions remain: Iton was one of three Patriots defensive tackles on the road toward free agency, and he is now the first to learn his fate. What will happen to the other two — UFA Khyiris Tonga and RFA Jaquelin Roy — will be seen. Can the Iton decision be interpreted as a sign of confidence, particularly in regards to Tonga’s uncertain future? Maybe, but with 90 spots available on an offseason roster those two situations very well might be viewed independently from one another by the team.
4 tender decisions left: As noted above, 14 Patriots were originally headed for free agency this year. Of those, eight fell in either the restricted or exclusive rights categories. This meant that the team could simply tender them to keep them from the open market. So far, half of those eight players have been taken care of one way or another. While Tommy DeVito (RFA) was re-signed, Yasir Durant (RFA), Alex Austin (RFA) and now Iton (ERFA) have not been tendered. This leaves RB Deneric Prince (ERFA), FB Jack Westover (ERFA), DT Jaquelin Roy (RFA) and LB Jack Gibbens (RFA) in limbo for now. Their decisions have to be made by next Wednesday, Mar. 11, at 3:59 p.m. ET.
