Belichick on Guy Absence: “You’d have to talk to him about that”
David Butler II - USA TODAY Sports
With New England Patriots defensive lineman Lawrence Guy not present at minicamp due to a reported contract dispute, Bill Belichick offered up little on Tuesday when it came to the veteran’s status.
Belichick was asked about his “understanding of the situation” surrounding whatever the problem might be, but he responded, “You’d have to talk to him about that.”
He was then asked if Guy was someone he’d like to have with the club this season, with Belichick still shooting down the question.
“Yeah, whatever the issue is, you can talk to him about that,” said Belichick. “I’m not going to talk about contracts or personal situations, injuries.”
Guy is set to make $2 million in 2023 having signed a 4-year extension with the team back in March of 2021 worth a reported $11.5 million.
It’s tough to say what the issue is. Patriots salary cap expert Miguel Benzan reported that the club guaranteed $1 million of his 2022 salary last March, which was the second straight year the veteran had guaranteed money heading into the season.
However, according to OverTheCap.com, unlike the past two seasons, none of his money appears to be guaranteed for 2023.
Guy has been a reliable member of the team on defense, with the 33-year-old finishing among just five players in 2021 who started all 17 games for the team. He did miss three games last season (Week 4, Week 5, and Week 6) but played in every game the rest of the way, participating in over half the snaps in most of those appearances.
He still has one year remaining on his 4-year deal, with the veteran set to be a free agent after the 2024 season.
Portions of the above appeared in this morning’s Patriots notebook, which is a daily column that features a variety of news and notes.
Posted Under: Patriots News
Tags: Bill Belichick Lawrence Guy
