The New England Patriots need an outside cornerback, either in free agency or through the draft. Pairing someone alongside Christian Gonzalez is a priority in the offseason, and taking as many attempts at filling that hole is something they are likely to do.
Before spending a lot of money or investing high draft capital into a cornerback, the Patriots have decided to bring back one of their own for another year.
The Patriots are bringing back cornerback Alex Austin by signing him to his exclusive rights free agent offer. The deal is for one year and brings back the young cornerback for the 2025 season.
Austin will be entering his third NFL season and will have the chance to compete for a chance to be the second outside cornerback opposite Gonzalez.
He played limited snaps in 2024, appearing in just six games. Austin closed out the 2024 season in weeks 16 through 18 as a starting outside cornerback.
In those starts, he allowed 41 yards and five receptions on 11 targets. He allowed one touchdown in week three but didn’t give up anything in the five games at the end of the year.
Austin also finished his 2024 season with five pass breakups, the third most on the team. He also allowed just a 75.8 passer rating when targeted, only 5.3 points higher than Gonzalez.
With his promising finish to 2024, Austin is a candidate to compete for the starting cornerback job. The Patriots re-signing him through his exclusive rights tender gives the Patriots a cheap look at Austin for the 2025 season.
