Five-year NFL veteran center Ted Karras signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the New England Patriots. Karras, a two-time Super Bowl champion, spent the 2020 season with the Miami Dolphins but has also played for the New England Patriots. ___________ first reported news of the deal.
Ted Karras, New England Patriots, Agree to Contract
After spending the majority of his time with the New England Patriots as a backup, Ted Karras earned the opportunity to start for the Miami Dolphins on a one-year deal. Overall, the Illinois product started in all 16 games and ended the year as the 21st-ranked center in football, according to the fine folks at Pro Football Focus. While he didn’t set the world on fire by any stretch of the imagination, his play helped improve a Miami Dolphins offensive line that ranked at or near the bottom of every meaningful metric at the end of 2019.
Karras initially joined the NFL as a sixth-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. Selected by the New England Patriots, Karras earned a spot on the initial 53-man roster and played in all 16 games. Serving as the primary interior backup, Karras actually started Week 1 of his rookie season at right guard in place of an injured Shaq Mason. However, as Mason returned to health, Karras spent the rest of the season on the bench and on special teams. Still, he managed to earn his first Super Bowl ring in New England’s ferocious comeback against the Atlanta Falcons.
Karras spent the next two seasons in the same role before earning a starting job in 2019. Just weeks before the season, starting center David Andrews suffered blood clots in his lungs and had to miss the entirety of the season. This forced Karras into the lineup, and the longtime backup started 15 games for the 12-4 New England Patriots. He performed admirably, all things considered, and earned a starting job in the ensuing offseason.
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