The New England Patriots have been paying a lot of their own players this offseason and defensive lineman Davon Godchaux was the most recent player to earn an extension with the team worth up to $21 million over two years.
Godchaux has been participating on the practice field during this training camp despite contract disputes, and he was rewarded with the deal earlier in the week.
After Thursday's camp session, the 29-year-old got his first opportunity to speak to the media and share his reaction to the news.
"Feels good, but back to football," Godchaux said. "I was stressed. I'm not even gonna lie. Just because you just hate to be put in the middle of it. You really just want to focus on football. It's good to be back. It's good to be out here with my brothers out here making plays and getting it right for the 2024 season."
It's a new deal, but is he happy with it?
"Yeah," Godchaux said simply. "My wife made me realize something. Every time you're not going to get what you want but just always be grateful for it. I'm grateful for her words. I'm grateful for my agent working it out with the Patriots, Eliot Wolf and Matt Groh. I'm glad we got something done. Every time you're not going to get what you want but just be grateful for what you have."
Before the deal was signed, Godchaux talked about wanting to feel respected, and this deal does that for him.
"It's basically just guaranteed money," Godchaux said. "As we know, the position I play is very brutal, double teams all the time, always getting hit. Just wanted some guaranteed money. I'm glad we got it figured out and moving forward in the right direction."
With Christian Barmore out indefinitely due to blood clots, Godchaux is New England's top guy in the middle of their defensive line, so he'll be relied on rather heavily. It's good to have him locked up and happy.
