Last week, three linebackers for the New England Patriots signed unrestricted free agency contracts, but only one has been retained thus far. The Patriots reportedly gave Ja’Whaun Bentley a new two-year, $9 million contract.
Bentley’s entire salary and signing bonus percentage will be transferred to him even if he does not appear in a single game this season, thanks to the $1.84 million guarantee from the Patriots on his contract.
However, given the team’s current off-the-ball linebacker lineup, he will most certainly play in many games in 2022, positioning himself to win a sizable chunk of the bonuses and incentives included in the agreement.
But there are two aspects of the arrangement that stand out. The first is that, given the way his contract is written, Bentley may be regarded as a lock to make New England’s squad this season; dismissing him would actually hurt the Patriots’ salary cap.
The second is that his salary cap impact in 2022 is only $2.42 million, which is quite low compared to that of 20 of his teammates.
Even if Bentley’s guarantees and salary cap amount rise in 2023, his status as a roster lock changes: the Patriots would save $1.49 million in total if they let him go after the 2022 season. However, there will undoubtedly be a lot of events before any choices for that season need to be made.
The only difference between Bentley’s contract and the one before it is the increased salary. The key issue will be determining which of his bonuses and incentives will be counted toward the 2023 ceiling because they are more likely to be earned in the end.
How Much Does Ja’Whaun Bentley Make?
Ja’whaun Bentley makes an average of $3,000,000 per year. Bentley will earn a base salary of $1,040,000 in 2022, a signing bonus of $1,600,000, a roster bonus of $510,000, and a workout bonus of $100,000, while carrying a $2,420,000 cap hit.