Patriots add USD 4.3 million to TE Gronkowski's deal

The New England Patriots have restructured tight end Rob Gronkowski's contract to boost his potential 2018 earnings by $4.3 million, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

The New England Patriots have restructured tight end Rob Gronkowski's contract to boost his potential 2018 earnings by $4.3 million, according to agent Drew Rosenhaus.

Gronkowski has a base salary of $8 million and can earn up to $1 million in roster bonuses if he is active for all 16 games, with $3.3 million achievable in additional incentives. The new deal has a max value of $13.05 million this year.

The incentives will pay Gronkowski $1.1 million for hitting each of the following benchmarks (maxing out at three benchmarks for $3.3 million): playing 80 percent of the offensive snaps, making at least 70 catches, gaining at least 1,085 receiving yards or scoring at least nine touchdowns. The latter three figures are each exactly one unit more than he had in 2017 (69 catches, 1,084 yards, eight TDs).

The restructuring marks the second consecutive year in which the Patriots have boosted Gronkowski's deal through incentives, and he made an extra $5.5 million last year after garnering his fourth career first-team All-Pro nod. A tweak to the deal -- much like quarterback Tom Brady has had in recent years -- was expected after the tight end missed the team's voluntary offseason workouts.

Gronkowski is scheduled to make $9 million in base salary and $1 million in roster and workout bonuses in 2019, the final year of his contract. If the Patriots choose to make a similar restructure next year, they will have to do so after Aug. 30, 2019, as incentives cannot be added to a contract multiple times within a one-year span.

Entering his ninth season, the 29-year-old flirted with the idea of retirement this offseason and is believed to be considering a future in Hollywood. He hasn't played in 16 games in a season since 2012, but he has reached at least 14 in three of the last four years.

Gronkowski has 474 catches for 7,179 yards and 76 touchdowns in his career. He needs four more TD catches to move into third place all-time among tight ends, behind only Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez.

The Patriots also renegotiated a contract with another tight end Thursday, as Dwayne Allen agreed to a pay cut, according to an ESPN report.

Allen, 28, was scheduled to make $4.5 million in 2018 while counting $5 million against the cap. Per ESPN, both of those figures will be lowered, but it's unclear by how much.

Allen had just 10 catches for 86 yards and a touchdown in his first season with the Patriots after arriving via trade with the Indianapolis Colts last year. His rookie season of 2012 (45 catches, 521 yards, three TDs) remains his most productive campaign, though Allen did score eight times in 2014 and six times in 2016.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)