The New England Patriots received some solid contributions from Jack Gibbens in 2025. Joining as a free agent, he ended up not just serving as a core special teamer but also the team’s third linebacker behind Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss. As such, he saw extensive action and set himself up nicely for another trip to the market.
While Gibbens converted it into a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Cardinals after not being tendered as a restricted free agent, the Patriots went in a different direction. What they found was a similar player albeit at a reduced cost: K.J. Britt joined New England on a one-year, $1.4 million deal.
LB K.J. Britt: Contract details
Base value: $1,402,500
Maximum value: $1,402,500
Guarantees: $687,500
Signing bonus: $187,500
Salary (2026): $500,000
2026 (age 27):
Base salary: $1,215,000
Signing bonus: $187,500
Salary cap hit: $1,262,500
Comparing Britt’s contract with Gibbens’, we can see that the Patriots are taking on a smaller cap charge in 2026— $1.26 million versus $3.73 million — but don’t have control beyond the upcoming season. New England, meanwhile, has invested $687,500 in guarantees compared to the $4 million Gibbens received in Arizona.
The deal being cheaper and shorter are not its only aspects standing out. It also carries a salary cap hit that is below the base value. That is because Britt qualifies for the veteran salary benefit.
As we previously discussed with safety Mike Brown’s deal, the veteran benefit comes into play when a qualifying unrestricted free agent signs a one-year contract that includes no more than $187,500 in additional compensation on top of his base salary. That is the case with Britt’s contract, which in turn allows the Patriots to reduce his salary’s cap impact from the listed $1.215 million — the minimum for a player of his experience — to $1.075 million.
Whether that all means the team will be getting a better bang for its buck relative to what Jack Gibbens would have cost remains to be seen.