Uche resigned on a one-year deal this offseason.
The New England Patriots put an emphasis on re-signing their own players this offseason as they become a draft and develop team under Eliot Wolf and Jerod Mayo. Among the group that returned was pass rusher Joshua Uche, who signed a one-year deal worth $3 million.
“You know, there were some options on the table. But in my heart, I felt I was destined to be a Patriot and despite what was offered I just felt like this was my calling to be a Patriot,” Uche told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday.
“I felt like it’s what I was destined to do and I felt like it it’s I wanna be. I don’t wanna be anywhere else. So, you gotta do what you gotta do. Follow your heart.”
The other offers Uche received in free agency were more lucrative than New England’s contract, including a reported deal worth $15 million over two years, with $11 million fully guaranteed. For Uche, however, the decision was about more than just money.
“It was interesting. I had a lot of people calling me crazy, a lot of people focusing on the financial parts of the decision,” he explained. “But I feel like the team that gave me an opportunity, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. I can’t envision myself playing for another team. However that shakes out, I just know at the end of the day that the ball is in my court and this is the dream that I wanted to be a Patriot.”
Beyond remaining at home, continuing to play under new head coach Jerod Mayo was another key selling point for Uche’s return.
“Played a large role,” Uche said. “Getting here to New England as a 27 year old from Miami Florida, not knowing too much about the Patriot way. They were patient enough to bear with me and kind of allow me to develop and grow.
“And just the familiarity we have with each other, the trust we have with each other that we built over these four years. That is a large reason why I didn’t want to go anywhere else because they know me best. They know me better than any other coach in the league could possibly know me. So, there’s no place I’d rather be, than playing for those guys.”
After a career-year in 2022 in which Uche posted 11.5 sacks, his statical production dipped last season as he took on a more disciplined role in New England’s defensive system.
Now under defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington, who has highlighted a more aggressive defensive approach moving forward, Uche expects to be able to play more to his strengths as he bets on himself to get back to his ’22 ways.
“If I’m gonna bet on anybody, I’m gonna bet on myself,” he said.
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