Seemingly like clockwork for the past 20 years, the New England Patriots have dominated the AFC East division behind the sustained brilliance of quarterback Tom Brady and head coach Bill Belichick. However, 2020 will mark the first time that Brady will be playing elsewhere — in Tampa Bay with the Buccaneers — so other teams in the division are getting anxious to bypass the Pats in the 2020 season.
According to a story by Gregg Rosenthal on NFL.com, interest from division rivals, the New York Jets, in offensive lineman Joe Thuney forced the Pats to assign Thuney the team’s franchise tag. That means the 27-year-old left guard will make approximately $14.8 million in 2020 as one of the highest-paid offensive linemen in the league.
More context on this signing comes via Rosenthal’s NFL.com story:
“There is some belief that the Jets’ reported interest in Thuney helped inspire Bill Belichick to keep him off the market,” Rosenthal wrote. “It will be harder to do again in 2021, especially considering Belichick’s history of not paying interior linemen top dollar. Thuney’s tag-team partner at guard, Shaq Mason, signed a below-market deal in 2018, which could complicate any negotiations with Thuney. Like many Patriots over the years, Thuney will probably have to leave to max out his money.”
Drafted 78th overall in the third round of the 2016 NFL Draft, Thuney has won two Super Bowls (in 2016 and 2018) during his time in Foxborough and has started all 64 games he’s appeared in. Thuney’s Approximate Value of 12 in 2019 represented a career high, per Pro Football Reference.
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