Nate in present
Pats tackle not worried about next move
FOXBORO — Patriots left tackle Nate Solder has been forced to endure some unimaginably complicated life lessons the past few years.
So when he prioritizes the present ahead of the future, it’s genuine. That’s why his contract status isn’t a consideration at the moment.
“No, no, no,” Solder said when asked if he is thinking about the final year of his deal. “Everything I do is based on taking it one day at a time because God gave me this day and I’m so thankful for that.”
Solder’s son, Hudson, who is approaching his second birthday, has been treated for a Wilms’ tumor in his kidneys since his diagnosis in October 2015. And Solder himself beat testicular cancer in 2014.
There are plenty of times when athletes say one thing and mean another when it involves their contract status, but Solder’s word counts. He and his wife, Lexi, have lived very much in the moment since discovering the illnesses. Solder’s one-day-at-a-time mantra is anything but cliché.
“I do (mean that), and I feel that I have to after some of the things that happened the last couple years,” Solder said. “To be quite honest with you, you’re lucky to have the breath that you’re having right now. You could be dead in a second. You really could be. We get caught up in our daily trivialities, but there is a big picture that is far greater than this stuff.”
There’s one more element at play. Solder, who turned 29 in April, will have earned $35.98 million in his career by the end of 2017. He also has dealt with several concussions during his football career, played a significant role for two Super Bowl champions and, as he said, lives very much in the moment.
So it was worth asking if Solder plans to play beyond 2017. It does sound like that’s the goal if everything goes according to plan.
“I’m loving playing right now, having a great time,” Solder said. “Hopefully I can extend it, but I don’t know what is going to happen, honestly.”
The Patriots used a thirdround draft pick on tackle Tony Garcia, but there’s no guarantee he was added for the sole reason of replacing Solder. Remember, backup tackle Cameron Fleming also is in the final year of his contract and could earn fringe-starter money next offseason.
Garcia would be a cheaper alternative to retaining Fleming in 2018. As for 2017, Garcia will at least be an upgrade from fourthstringer LaAdrian Waddle. And at the moment, Garcia isn’t getting any quality reps with the mix of starters, so it’s impossible to project his trajectory. This is all a way to point out there’s room for both Solder and Garcia now and in the future.
Solder signed a two-year, $20.062 million extension in 2015, and his average annual value ($10.031 million) ranks 13th among all left tackles. It’s unclear if a similar contract would suffice during the next round of negotiations, mostly because it’s an afterthought for Solder.
Solder is coming off the best season of his career, remains in his prime and will be working with the same starting offensive line and coach Dante Scarnecchia. His arc should remain in an upward direction.
“I definitely want to improve,” Solder said. “I don’t think I did everything that I want to do well (last season). It’s kind of like this carrot out in front of you that you can never quite get to. You always want to get better, and you’re improving. Any successes I had last year were due to a lot of hard work throughout the entire season. I’m going to have to put in all the same work this season to get anywhere.” Just where? That’s for another day.