Adam Schefter reports that the Patriots and TE Rob Gronkowski have agreed to a restructured contract on Tuesday that will give him the opportunity to become the highest paid tight end in the NFL.
According to Schefter, Gronkowski’s new contract will give him the chance to increase his 2017 salary from $5.25 million to $10.75 million.
The full breakdown of the contract is as follows:
- Gronkowski can earn $6.75 million for playing 70 percent of the team’s snaps, totaling 60 receptions, 800 receiving yards or 10 TDs.
- Gronkowski can earn $8.75 million for playing 80 percent of the team’s snaps, totaling 70 receptions, 1,000 receiving yards or 12 TDs.
- Gronkowski can earn $10.75 million for playing 90 percent of the team’s snaps, totaling 80 receptions, 1,200 receiving yards or be selected as an All-Pro.
Ian Rapoport says that this contract has been in the works for six months and is viewed as a compromise that keeps both parties happy.
Gronkowski, 28, is a former second-round pick of the Patriots back in 2010. He was in the sixth year of his eight-year, $55.23 million contract that included $13.17 million guaranteed.
Gronkowski has outplayed this contract by a mile and was one of the most underpaid players in the NFL. He was set to make base salaries of $4.25 million (2017), $8 million (2018) and $9 million (2019) over the remainder of the contract.
In 2016, Gronkowski appeared in eight games for the Patriots and caught 25 passes for 540 yards and three touchdowns. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 2 tight end out of 63 qualifying players.
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