Nov 3, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr. (91) warms up before a game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots boast more cap room than any other team in the NFL heading into free agency, and fortunately for them, they don’t have many of their own free agents to worry about.
One of the only notable free agents the Patriots have entering the week is defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr., who has spent his entire eight-year career in New England.
However, the general consensus is that Wise’s time with the Pats is coming to a close, and recently, the veteran defender made a telling decision: he changed agents. Not only did he make a switch, but he hired the NFL’s most well-known agent in Drew Rosenhaus, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
“With the Patriots under a new Vrabel-led regime, and switching to an attacking defensive system, Wise’s fit is harder to project compared to the last time he was an unrestricted free agent (2021) and re-signed,” Reiss wrote. “Prior to Wise’s agent switch, indications were that his return was a longer-odds scenario.”
Reiss also noted that Rosenhaus also represents Patriots defensive tackle Davon Godchaux, who has requested a trade.
Wise played in 15 games this past season, logging 29 tackles and five sacks.
The 30-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of Arkansas, was selected by New England in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Wise has been a steady contributor for the Pats throughout his tenure with the club and helped them win a Super Bowl during his sophomore campaign. His best season came in 2021, when he racked up 59 tackles, 7.5 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles.
Given his age and the fact that he is certainly not a star, it wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense for the Pats to re-sign Wise unless they can retain him on a bargain contract.
