<
        >

          NFL Nation

          Following up on TE Byham's contract

          • Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff WriterJul 23, 2014, 03:45 PM ET
            Close
              Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.
            Follow on X

          The Patriots announced the signing of tight end Nate Byham on Sunday, and here are the contract terms:

          Length: 1 year

          Base salary: $645,000

          Split salary: $373,000 (in the event of injury)

          Salary-cap hit: $645,000

          QUICK-HIT THOUGHTS: This is a modest deal, with no bonus money, that reflects a player competing for a backup spot behind Rob Gronkowski and Michael Hoomanawanui. With the Patriots not re-signing veteran Matthew Mulligan, who filled a blocking-based role last season, the 6-foot-4, 264-pound Byham is a candidate to possibly step into that void. Byham is coming off a torn ACL last season, and the injury split gives the team some protection along those lines. Meanwhile, Byham has a chance to play in a Tom Brady-led offense, increase his value, and potentially hit the open market as an unrestricted free agent again next year.