Familiar Face Returns to New England

The New England Patriots reportedly agreed to terms with center Ted Karras on a one-year contract

The New England Patriots will have a new/old center in 2021.

Ted Karras is coming back to the Patriots after one season with the Miami Dolphins, according to multiple reports.

The news of Karras' one-year deal with the Patriots was first reported by Jeff Howe from The Athletic, with NFL Network reporter Tom Pelissero later adding the one-year deal will be worth $4 million.

It was just a year ago that Karras signed with the Dolphins as an unrestricted free agent, but he got only a one-year deal and that made him a free agent again this year.

Karras was the only offensive lineman to start all 16 games for the Dolphins in 2020 and he generally turned in a solid performance.

It could end up that the Dolphins and Patriots swap centers because Miami is believed to be among the leading contenders for the services of David Andrews, who also figures to garner interest from the Packers, Falcons and Raiders.

Karras was Andrews' backup for three years in New England until Andrews was forced to sit out the 2019 season because of blood clot issues that since have been resolved.

Pro Football Focus ranked Andrews slightly ahead of Karras in terms of 2020 performance.

Karras started six games in his first three seasons with the Patriots after joining the team as a sixth-round pick out of Illinois in 2016. Karras turned 28 on Monday.