It would appear that the hefty contract extension that Davon Godchaux signed with the New England Patriots was mutually advantageous for both parties.
Godchaux received a two-year, $20.8 million contract extension from the Patriots on Wednesday, with $17.85 million of that amount completely guaranteed.
The 27-year-old veteran now ranks among the top 15 highest-paid defensive linemen in the NFL in terms of average income thanks to the new contract, which caused a few eyebrows to be raised.
The new contract that Godchaux signed, on the other hand, reportedly helped the Patriots free up around $1.5 million in salary space, as reported by Mike Reiss of ESPN.
As a result of New England converting a significant portion of Godchaux’s pay for 2022 into a signing bonus, the salary that counts toward Godchaux’s cap number drops from $10.25 million to $8.75 million. This year, his base wage will only be $1.5 million.
As a result of the extension signed by Godchaux, the Patriots have a salary cap space of $2.9 million, as reported by Miguel Benzan, the Patriots’ cap expert.
Although this is still the lowest amount of cap space in the NFL, it does provide the organization with some wiggle room while also ensuring the retention of a player that head coach Bill Belichick referred to on Thursday as “one of the top defensive lineman in the league.”
This kind of salary cap manipulation is standard procedure for the Patriots, and it provides a bit more insight behind the first sticker shock of New England dishing out more than $20 million to a defensive tackle who has not yet been selected for the Pro Bowl.
How Much Does Davon Godchaux Make?
Davon Godchaux’s annual income is approximately $10,400,000. Godchaux will have a cap hit of $8,750,000 in 2022 between his $1,500,000 regular salary, $10,500,000 signing bonus, and $1,000,000 roster bonus.