New England Patriots Reportedly Reach Three-Year Extension With Versatile Safety Adrian Phillips

Adrian Phillips will remain in the New England Patriots’ plans well beyond New Year’s Day.

The veteran safety has agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension worth $12.75 million and a max value of $14.25 million, as first reported Saturday by SiriusXM NFL Radio’s Adam Caplan.

Phillips, 29, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March alongside fellow starting Patriots defensive backs Devin McCourty and J.C. Jackson. Instead, his new pact will carry $7.25 million guaranteed and run through the 2024 season.

The Texas Longhorns product had previously reached a two-year, $6 million deal that included a $1.5 million signing bonus and $3 million fully guaranteed in the spring of 2020. With it came $500,000 in per-game roster bonuses and $750,000 in incentives.

From there, Phillips has appeared in 31 games for New England while amassing 185 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, six interceptions and his first touchdown.

The visit to the end zone arrived at SoFi Stadium in October against the Los Angeles Chargers organization that signed him as an undrafted free agent in 2014. It gave way to AFC Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Phillips had started 24 NFL games before landing in Foxborough. The former Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro on special teams has since made 27 starts.

After serving as a 5-foot-11, 210-pound linebacker and leading an understaffed defense with 109 tackles last campaign, Phillips now ranks third with 76 tackles and is second with a career-high four interceptions. In a role that’s seen him play in the box, in the slot and in the deep half of the field, he has handled 81% of the snaps.

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick praised the blend of instincts and versatility during a November press conference.

“In San Diego, he played in the box. He played on the edge of the defense,” Belichick said. “They played that style of the defense where the safeties really play as linebackers in Coach [Gus] Bradley’s defense. You can see his instinctiveness. You go all the way back to him at Texas and talking to his coaches back there, it’s pretty much the same thing in college as it was in the NFL. Very instinctive. Very high IQ. Plays faster and bigger than whatever his dimensions and times are. … I think you saw him play like that in San Diego. You saw him play like that at the University of Texas, and he continues to be productive. He’s one of our best players. He’s one of our most versatile players. He almost always does the right thing.”

Phillips’ 81.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus currently stands sixth among the league’s safeties, behind Kevin Byard and Amani Hooker of the Tennessee Titans, Antoine Winfield Jr. of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Marcus Williams of the New Orleans Saints and Micah Hyde of the Buffalo Bills.

Prior to the extension, his cap number checked in tenth on New England’s roster, according to OverTheCap.com.

The Jacksonville Jaguars visit Gillette Stadium for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff on Sunday.