It was a bit of a surprise when the Patriots placed the franchise tag on Joe Thuney back in March.
Given the Patriots' salary cap space at the time, it didn't seem worth it to commit just under $15 million to a guard, and it seemed a long-term extension wouldn't be possible -- which ultimately did not happen.
But, did the Patriots retain Thuney because of the potential interest from another team?
According NFL.com's Gregg Rosenthal, that might have been the case.
“There is some belief that the Jets’ reported interest in Thuney helped inspire Bill Belichick to keep him off the market,” Rosenthal wrote. “It will be harder to do again in 2021, especially considering Belichick’s history of not paying interior linemen top dollar. Thuney’s tag-team partner at guard, Shaq Mason, signed a below-market deal in 2018, which could complicate any negotiations with Thuney. Like many Patriots over the years, Thuney will probably have to leave to max out his money.”
This could make a lot of sense given how badly the offensive line need was for the Jets this offseason.
Since Thuney and the Patriots did not reach an agreement on a long-term deal by Wednesday's deadline, he will play out the year on a one-year, $14.8 million contract.
Thuney will again become a free agent after the season.
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