The New England Patriots missed out on arguably the top wide receiver in this year’s free agency class, Indianapolis’ Alec Pierce, but they still managed to make a splash at the position. Romeo Doubs, formerly of the Green Bay Packers, arrived in Foxborough on a four-year, $68 million contract.
While an annual average value of $17 million means that Doubs is now the 26th highest-paid wideout in the NFL from that perspective, he actually will have an opportunity to boost that number up to $20 million. The pact, after all, includes up to $3 million worth of incentives each season.
For those to come in to play, however, Doubs would have to outperform his previous career production in all four of the seasons he is under contract with the Patriots. A look at the incentive details as first reported by Ben Volin of the Boston Globe shows this.
WR Romeo Doubs: Contract incentives
Maximum incentives: $12,000,000
2026: Up to $3,000,000
$750,000: 70 receptions
$750,000: 80 receptions
$750,000: 1,000 receiving yards
$750,000: 1,200 receiving yards
2027: Up to $3,000,000
$750,000: 70 receptions
$750,000: 80 receptions
$750,000: 1,000 receiving yards
$750,000: 1,200 receiving yards
2028: Up to $3,000,000
$750,000: 70 receptions
$750,000: 80 receptions
$750,000: 1,000 receiving yards
$750,000: 1,200 receiving yards
2029: Up to $3,000,000
$750,000: 70 receptions
$750,000: 80 receptions
$750,000: 1,000 receiving yards
$750,000: 1,200 receiving yards
The incentive structure in Doubs’ deal looks the same each season. He can earn an extra $750,000 each for hitting 70 and 80 receptions and the same number for 1,000 and 1,200 receiving yards. To hit the maximum $3 million on the line each year, he would have to finish with at least 80 catches and 1,200 yards — numbers he has yet to reach since entering the NFL in 2022.
So far, Doubs’ best season in terms of catches was 2023 when he hauled in 59 passes. As for yards, he set a new career mark just last year, finishing with 724.
While his production was certainly solid throughout his time in Green Bay, those numbers show that the 25-year-old has quite a bit of room for improvement. That said, there appears to be optimism in his camp that he can take that step up and reach those seemingly lofty goals. Otherwise, Doubs would not have agreed to such an incentive structure.
As for the 2026 portion of those incentives, they are considered not likely to be earned based on his 2025 production. This also means that they will only become relevant for the salary cap if he reaches the necessary escalators.