Uche had a productive college career at Michigan before joining the NFL. He played 39 games before breaking out in his junior year of 2018.
For the Wolverines and their defensive coordinator, Don Brown, he was still mostly a rotational pass rusher, but he still managed to record 65.5 quarterback pressures (15.5 sacks, 14 hits, and 36 hurries) and led the team in sacks during both his junior and senior seasons.
Additionally, he recovered one fumble and forced two others, positioning himself well for the draft.
In fact, Uche’s name was called before others, and in 2020, he finished 60th overall. He was acquired by the Patriots by trading up in the second round, and they have since mostly used him as a pass rusher who fits a certain scheme.
He participated in 22 of the 34 regular season and postseason games that were available, recording 21 tackles, four sacks, and a fumble recovery.
Although Uche occasionally showed off his talent, his pro career up until this point can best be described as a combination of inconsistent play and injury.
Uche is entering the third year of his rookie contract and will cost New England $1.47 million in salary. His prorated $369,879 signing bonus is added to his $1.1 million salary, which is completely guaranteed.
If the Patriots choose to release or trade Uche, that proration would still count against their dead cap; only his pay might be reduced by doing so.
How Much Does Josh Uche Make?
Josh Uche makes an average of $1,347,334 per year. Uche will have a base salary of $1,099,940 and a cap hit of $1,469,819 in 2022.