FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots have agreed to a one-year deal with free-agent center Ted Karras that could be worth up to $4 million, a source confirmed, which could foreshadow that starting center David Andrews won’t be back with the team.
The Patriots drafted Karras in the 2016 sixth round out of Illinois, and attempted to re-sign him last offseason to a multiyear deal. But Karras elected for a one-year contract in Miami, where he had a clearer path to a starting role.
Karras (6-foot-4, 305 pounds) started all 16 games for Miami last season. In his prior four seasons in New England, he had started 20 games, with flexibility to play both guard spots and center.
The Patriots have been active reshaping their offense, agreeing to terms on a trade for offensive tackle Trent Brown, and having reached contract agreements with tight ends Jonnu Smith and Hunter Henry, wide receivers Nelson Agholor and Kendrick Bourne.
If Karras’ return means that Andrews’ time with the Patriots comes to an end, it caps one of the more remarkable rises in franchise history.
The Patriots signed Andrews as an undrafted free agent out of Georgia in 2015, paying him a paltry $15,000 signing bonus. Andrews not only made the roster that year, but was an opening-day starter.
In all, he has played in 72 regular-season NFL games (69 starts), in addition to 11 playoff games (9 starts). The Georgia native, a four-time team captain, was one of the NFL’s top comeback stories in 2020, as he started 12 games after missing the entire 2019 season due to blood clots in his lungs.
The Athletic first reported the agreement with Karras.