The process of rebuilding their linebacker depth chart behind starters Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss saw the New England Patriots invest a sixth-round draft choice in a prospect out of TCU: Namdi Obiazor was broad aboard with the 212th overall pick in the draft. Shortly after getting picked, Obiazor put his signature under a four-year rookie contract.
Let’s take a closer look at that deal to find out what it means for the Patriots’ salary cap and the 24-year-old himself.
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LB Namdi Obiazor: Contract details
Base value: $4,618,872
Maximum value: TBD
Guarantees: $238,872
Signing bonus: $238,872
2026 (age 24):
Base salary: $885,000
Signing bonus: $59,718
Salary cap hit: $944,718
2027 (age 25):
Base salary: $1,050,000
Signing bonus: $59,718
Salary cap hit: $1,109,718
2028 (age 26):
Base salary: $1,165,000
Signing bonus: $59,718
Salary cap hit: $1,224,718
2029 (age 27):
Base salary: $1,280,000
Signing bonus: $59,718
Salary cap hit: $1,224,718
There are no surprises in Obiazor’s contract. It is a standard deal for a player selected on Day 3 of the draft, meaning that its only guarantees are the prorated signing bonus totaling $238,872.
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It is that sum that will remain on New England’s books regardless of whether or not Obiazor is on the roster. If, for example, he is cut ahead of the 53-man roster deadline at the end of training camp, the Patriots would absorb a $59,718 dead money charge this season and $179,154 in 2027. While that is a lot of money, it is a drop in the bucket for an NFL team and would therefore not prevent such a move from happening.
Of course, the best case scenario would be Obiazor proving himself a quality addition and making the team after all. If so, his salary cap hit would increase from what it is now: under the NFL’s Top 51 rule, only the 51 biggest cap hits are actually counted versus a team’s books in the offseason.
Obiazor is not on that list at the moment; his cap hit is the 64th highest. This means that only his guarantees — namely the aforementioned $59,718 signing bonus proration — are currently impacting New England’s cap space. Only once he makes the roster or practice squad would his cap number change.
