Mason’s in line for hefty raise
Pats extend OG for $50 million
FOXBORO — As cameras swarmed his locker yesterday, Patriots guard Shaq Mason couldn’t help but laugh at some of the comments made by his teammates, like, “Shaq, you owe me 20 bucks,” joked tackle LaAdrian Waddle.
The Patriots made Mason one of the highest paid interior linemen in the NFL, signing him to a fiveyear extension worth $50 million with $23.5 million in guarantees, according to a source. He’s now tied to the Patriots through the 2023 season.
“It’s huge, I love it here, love my coaches and my teammates,” Mason said. “Really, I’ve known I wanted to be here. It’s the team that believed in me from the jump, so that’s huge.”
The contract puts Mason in line with some of the top players at his position, an indication of how the Pats value him. According to figures from OverTheCap. com, only four guards will receive more guaranteed money — Dallas’ Zack Mar- tin, Jacksonville’s Andrew Norwell, Oakland’s Kelechi Osewele and Indianapolis’ Quenton Nelson, who was sixth overall pick in April’s NFL draft.
Mason’s average annual salary of approximately $10 million per season ranks in the top 10 among guards.
Now that Mason’s deal is done, the core of the interior offensive line is intact for the future. The trio of Mason, Joe Thuney and David Andrews has been a staple since the 2016 season. They’ve started 35 games alongside each other in that span, with Mason manning the right side, Andrews in the middle and Thuney on the left.
Barring anything unforeseen, they’ll remain together at least through 2019 when Thuney’s rookie contract expires. Andrews, who is entering his third season as the starting center, is signed through 2020.
Mason said the continuity on the interior offensive line is “big.”
“Those are my guys,” Mason said. “We all feed off each other, make each other better. We all go out every day and put our best foot forward.”
Added Thuney: “I think we do a good job communicating. That’s really helpful, and just building that chemistry next to each other, knowing what they’re thinking and doing, it helps.”
A fourth-round pick in 2015, Mason came from a run-heavy offense at Georgia Tech, but acclimated well here and started 10 games as a rookie. Since, he’s started 31 of 32 regular season games, emerging as a dominant force in the run game.
“Shaq’s done a good job for us from the time he got here,” said Patriots coach Bill Belichick. “He came from an offense that was quite different from ours and he adapted quickly and did a real good job of learning new techniques. He’s an athletic player that has good strength, good balance, an excellent run blocker, can pull, run and hit.”
Belichick noted that Mason, Thuney and Andrews have “played a lot of football together, and they’re young. Hopefully they can continue to play a lot for us in there.”
Mason, who turns 25 today, made massive strides each season. At 6-foot-1, 310 pounds, he possesses the strength to win against defensive tackles and the athleticism to make blocks at the second level. The Pats running game has excelled behind Mason and right tackle Marcus Cannon.
As the team’s receiver depth dwindles, the ground attack may become all the more important. Thanks in part to Mason, the Pats ranked top 10 in rushing offense in each of the past two seasons.
With his future now secured, Mason is simply looking forward to beginning his fourth season.
“It’s definitely a good thing to get done,” he said, “but just moving forward, I’m just trying to focus on the season. That’s over and done with now. I’ve got practice tomorrow.”