Patriots Decline 5th-Year Option on Former 1st-Round Pick Harry

The New England Patriots and wide receiver N’Keal Harry are now one step closer to parting ways.

N’Keal Harry’s experience in a New England Patriots uniform may be coming to a close.

In a move that was widely expected, the New England Patriots have decided to decline the $12.4 million fifth-year option in the rookie contract of the talented, but much maligned wideout.

5th-year options declined, officially:

No. 4: Clelin Ferrell
No. 6: Daniel Jones
No. 10: Devin Bush
No. 18: Garrett Bradbury
No. 22: Andre Dillard
No. 24: Josh Jacobs
No. 27: Johnathan Abram
No. 28: Jerry Tillery
No. 29: LJ Collier
No. 31: Kaleb McGary
No. 32: NKeal Harry

11/32

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) May 2, 2022

Harry joined the Patriots as the 32nd overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft. He was the first wide receiver selected by New England in the first round since 2000. Despite the high expectations surrounding his arrival in the league, Harry has had little impact over his first three seasons. 

Hampered by injuries during his first two years with the Pats, he has appeared in only 35 of a possible 50 games, including two playoff contests. Throughout the course of his Patriots tenure, he caught only 59 combined passes for 619 yards and four touchdowns. Harry also carried the football eight times for 56 yards, never elevating himself into a starting role within the New England offense.

N’Keal Harry

N’Keal Harry lunges for the goal line

N’Keal Harry makes the contested catch

As such, Harry has been the subject of much scorn from the New England fanbase, as well as trade rumors throughout the offseason. There were times where he made some brilliant catches, flashing some of the skill that likely made him a first-round target for the Patriots in 2019. More often than not, however, he has been a minimal factor, never looking truly comfortable in the Pats offense.

Despite a solid start to Training Camp in 2021, Harry was sidelined for the start of the season, when the wideout suffered an injury to his shoulder, during the second quarter of the Pats’ preseason matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles. Upon his return, he actually saw more action as a blocker in the running game rather than a pass catcher. Harry was asked to block on 53 percent of his offensive snaps, finishing with a mere 12 catches for 184 yards.

In the aftermath of the Patriots’ acquisition of wide receiver DeVante Parker from the Miami Dolphins, as well as drafting Baylor wideout Tyquan Thornton in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Harry’s days in a New England uniform appear to be numbered. With receivers Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers also expected to play significant roles in the Patriots passing game this season, Harry appears to face an uphill battle to find even a specialized role in New England’s offense. He was present neither for last month’s informal throwing sessions hosted by quarterback Mac Jones in Tampa, nor the start of the Patriots offseason workout program on April 18.

DeVante Parker and his ‘likley’ number 11 for 2022

AP Photo/Steven Senne

Kendrick Bourne

Patriots rookie Tyquan Thornton

With the draft now in the books, New England is likely to revisit the gauging of teams’ interest in trading for Harry. If he is not traded by the team in the offseason, Harry will hit unrestricted free agency heading into 2023. According to Patriots’ salary cap expert Miguel Benzan, the Patriots are in line to gain $1,047,048 in salary cap space by cutting ties with Harry via trade. Benzan further reports that trading him will create more cap space than waiving him and having him go unclaimed, as the responsibility of paying his guaranteed salary would travel with him.

While his future in New England may be uncertain, Harry will unquestionably continue to be a popular topic among Patriots fans and media in the coming days.