After Demaryius Thomas signed with the New England Patriots on Tuesday, it was reported his contract with the team was a one-year deal worth up to $6 million.
As expected, the vast majority of that $6 million will need to be earned through incentives.
Thomas, who is coming off a season-ending torn Achilles suffered in December, is set to make just $1.2 million in base salary this season with a $150,000 signing bonus, according to ESPN’s Field Yates, making this a low-risk, high-reward move for the receiver-needy Patriots.
Demaryius' Thomas deal with the Patriots includes a $150K signing bonus and a base salary of $1.2M, per source. He has the chance to earn more through incentives/bonuses and his current cap number is $2,906,250.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) April 17, 2019
Albert Breer of The MMQB shared a more detailed breakdown:
New Patriots WR Demaryius Thomas' 1-year deal is HEAVY on "we'll see" type parameters …
$150K to sign.
$150K reporting bonus.
$1.2 million base.
$1.406 million in per-game rosters.
$750K for 60 catches.
$750K for 800 yards.
$750K for 1000 yards.
$750K for 1200 yards.— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 17, 2019
Thomas’ pedigree — five 1,000-yard seasons, four Pro Bowl selections — suggests he should slide into the Patriots’ No. 2 receiver spot behind Julian Edelman when healthy. But recovering from an Achilles tear at age 31 is no small feat, and Thomas’ play already had begun to decline before his injury.
In 15 games for the Denver Broncos and Houston Texans last season, Thomas caught 59 passes for 677 yards and five touchdowns — respectable numbers, but his lowest totals in all three categories since 2011.
Could Thomas wind up being the next Eric Decker or Kenny Britt? Sure. And even if he does stick, there’s no guarantee he’ll be ready to go in time for Week 1. With this contract structure, though, the Patriots won’t take a significant financial hit unless he becomes a consistent contributor.
