Patriots reportedly sign LB Raekwon McMillan to One-Year Extension

The Pats inside linebacker was forced to miss the 2021 season, after suffering a torn ACL during training camp.

The New England Patriots will be retaining the services of inside linebacker Raekwon McMillan after agreeing to a one-year extension through the 2022 season. The signing was first reported by ESPN’s Field Yates on Monday evening.

McMillan had suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a training camp practice in early August, forcing him to miss the entirety of the 2021 season. McMillan had also suffered a similar injury during training camp as a rookie. He tore his right ACL as a member of the Miami Dolphins in their 2017 preseason opener.

The 25-year-old signed a one-year deal with the Patriots in March, and was expected to compete for a depth spot on the team’s linebacking corps. McMillain was enjoying a solid camp performance, routinely applying pressure to the quarterback and providing stout coverage in his assignments. Despite the team entering the 2021 season with a significantly upgraded depth chart at linebacker, McMillan was making a strong case for a spot on the Patriots regular season roster.

McMillan was a second-round draft pick by the Miami Dolphins in the 2017 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He spent two seasons in Miami, before joining the Las Vegas Raiders in 2020. During that time, he played 45 games, making 32 starts and compiling 204 total tackles and 9 tackles for loss.

The Patriots decision to extend McMillan is a strong indicator of the positive impression he made on the team’s coaching staff, as well as his teammates. Per Pro Football Focus, McMillan has a career grade of 57.0 from 2018-2020, having missed the 2017 season due to injury.