Trent Brown contract details: Exploring details behind Patriots’ decision of OT losing $6,500,000

Trent Brown is in his second stint with the New England Patriots and his third season with the team. It has been a rough 2023 season for both the offensive tackle and New England. And the relationship between Brown and the franchise has been equally rough.

The veteran signed a two-year, $13 million deal in March 2022, but he won't see any of the $6.5 million in incentives. New England made Brown inactive for its Week 17 matchup against the Buffalo Bills.

Per New England salary expert Miguel Benzan, Brown will not be eligible to get the aforementioned incentives:

• $750,000 (by reaching 65% playtime)
• $750,000 (by reaching 70% playtime)
• $750,000 (by reaching 95% playtime)
• $1 million (by reaching 75% playtime)
• $1 million (by reaching 80% playtime)
• $1 million (by reaching 85% playtime)
• $1 million (by reaching 90% playtime)

Of the 15 games the New England Patriots have played ahead of Week 17, Trent Brown played in 11. So, he will not be able to get to that 65% playing time for the season without suiting up versus the Bills.

The Pro Bowler spoke to A to Z Sports about his future with the Patriots heading into the upcoming offseason:

"We already had that opportunity. We have had plenty of opportunities to get that done. I mean, I'm not opposed to it, but we are at the end of the season. ... It'd be kind of like, I feel like I'd be kind of doing myself a disservice to not see what other opportunities are out there, just at this point."

It did not help matters that Trent Brown seemed to question how rookie quarterback/receiver Malik Cunningham was being developed by the Patriots. Cunningham is now with the Baltimore Ravens. There is a chance that Brown will not be active for the Patriots' season finale against the New York Jets.

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Where did Trent Brown start his NFL career?

Trent Brown was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the seventh round in 2015. He started 28 of the 31 games for the 49ers before being traded to the Patriots in April 2018. In March 2019, the offensive lineman would take his talents to the Oakland/Las Vegas Raiders as a free agent.

Brown, now 30, reunited with Bill Belichick and the Patriots when traded by the Raiders to New England two years later.