His deal with the Pats is worth up to $6 million and will be a nice complementary back to starter Rhamondre Stevenson. The Patriots have been looking to add at the running back position or just to the offense in general before the season starts. They have had multiple visits with running backs available like Dalvin Cook, Leonard Fournette, and presumably Kareem Hunt if Elliot had not signed. They did also have talks with wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins before he signed with the Tennessee Titans.
Breaking: Ezekiel Elliott is signing a one-year deal with the Patriots, he announced on social media. pic.twitter.com/yOSMOXNeQd
Compensation update: Zeke Elliott’s one-year deal with the Patriots includes a $3 million base salary, a $1 million signing bonus and can be worth up to $6 million with incentives.
The Patriots are arguably in the toughest division in the AFC. They are projected to be in last place of the AFC East. However, Stevenson will be the primary running back on passing downs, so the signing of Elliot will not cap Stevenson’s ability to produce at a high level. The workload split will be interesting to see play out when the season starts.