New England Patriots’ Josh Uche Knows Not To Play In The Past

What Josh Uche did in 2022 was what the New England Patriots drafted him to do in 2020.

It took time for the University of Michigan product to reach the field. And yet, with rare bend and closing speed around the edges, it didn’t take much time to at all reach the quarterback once there.

The final game of October marked the first sack of the regular season. Ten games from that point forward featured 11.5 sacks, AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors and a place in the franchise archives next to Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Tippett and Patriots Hall of Famer Mike Vrabel.

For Uche, the breakout holds a place in the past. The former No. 60 overall pick knows to leave it there.

“Last year is last year,” Uche told reporters during his Thursday press conference at Gillette Stadium. “I mean, can’t cash in on much from last year. It’s a new season and I’m just focusing on the next opponent and just improving. It’s a new season. New plays need to be made and new steps need to be taken. So, kind of just trying to forget last year and just build and become the best football player I can be.”

Uche has made just one start in his NFL career. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound outside linebacker logged two stints on injured reserve as a rookie. He then logged three sacks through two games as a sophomore before another stint on injured reserve arrived that winter.

The next takedown would have to wait until last fall against the New York Jets. And not until after a hamstring injury had twice sent him to the inactives instead of the rushing rotation.

“I know I’m not the oldest guy in the room. I’m 24. It was just a learning experience, maturing and having mature guys in the locker room, mature leaders,” said Uche, who credited the influence of Jamie Collins as well as fellow veterans in Dont’a Hightower, Matthew Slater and Devin McCourty. “I was able to learn from them and eventually it all came together. And it’s still coming together. It’s not like I just figured it out. It’s a continuous process.”

The process brought a pair of three-sack games versus the Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals. It also brought a two-sack game versus the Buffalo Bills and the initial two forced fumbles of his tenure.

And a mindset to play free yet in control of what can be controlled.

“Being a football player, you’re competitive. And when things don’t go your way, you can get frustrated, dejected, injuries, so on and so forth,” Uche said. “But one thing that I’ve found helpful for me was like after practice or games I kind of go home, I try to decompress, cut on something that just has nothing to do with football and just kind of meditate, if you will. Pray, I pray I lot. That helps me a lot. And just different outlets that help me kind of decompress from football.

“If you focus on something too much, you don’t see the bigger picture. So, sometimes taking a step back, you kind of see some things you messed up on, some things you can improve on. Just understanding there’s life outside of football and being appreciative of that makes you more appreciative of the privilege to play this game.”

Pro Football Focus charted Uche for generating 56 total quarterback pressures by campaign’s end. In terms of pass-rush productivity — a formula that combines sacks, hits and hurries relative to how many times players rush the passer — he qualified for the top spot among edge defenders with his sample size around the league.

The 83.1 defensive grade from PFF, meanwhile, finished behind the company of Za’Darius Smith, Josh Sweat, Haason Reddick, Josh Allen, Von Miller, Montez Sweat, Danielle Hunter, Jaelan Phillips, Brandon Graham, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa, Micah Parsons and Myles Garrett.

The calendar now stands midway through May with organized team activities ahead in Foxborough. Also ahead is a contract year with a $1.344 million base salary.

It will multiply in time.

“If you get so big-headed on what you did in the past, you’re going to trip up trying to get to where you want to go,” added Uche. “So, I kind of just try to leave that where it’s at and understand this is a new slate, this is a new season and there’s new opportunities. If I’m worried about the past, then I can’t capitalize on the future.”