12:57 PM
A source told Adam Schefter that the New England Patriots and AdrianPhillips have agreed on a three-year contract extension.
Since signing a two-year, free-agent contract with the New England,Phillips has become a key player on the defense. He is third on the team with 70 tackles and his four picks rank second on the club.
In November, Bill Belichick said thatPhillips "almost always does the right thing" and that he compared him to Patrick Chung.
The source told the magazine that the extension could be worth as much as $14.25 million.
The eight-year veteran, who spent the first six years of his career with the Bolts, was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season. Kyle Dugger, the team's top draft pick in 2020, is also a safety. The captain of the safety team for the past 12 years is scheduled for unrestricted free agency.
In New England, he has played a variety of roles, supporting the run and playing a linebacker-type role. He has played in the deep part of the field in a more traditional safety role.
"You can see players with great instincts, which Adrian has, both in the running game and passing game," the coach said earlier this season. He has excellent hands. If you look at some of the picks he has made for us and in his career, those are really good catches that a lot of defensive players might not be able to make.
