FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- Veteran Justin Bethel, one of the NFL's premier special-teams players, has agreed to a three-year, $6 million deal with the New England Patriots, according to a source.
Bethel, 30, was scheduled for unrestricted free agency, but his preference was to remain in New England, where he initially signed as a free agent in October 2019.
Bethel led the Patriots with 14 special-teams tackles last season (13 solo). Paired with longtime Pro Bowler Matthew Slater, he formed a 1-2 combination covering punts that contributed to the Patriots' No. 1 overall ranking in Rick Gosselin's annual special-teams rankings.