Former BYU star Khyiris Tonga will reportedly sign a one-year, $2.7 million contract with the New England Patriots.
Tonga was 2021 seventh round pick by the Chicago Bears and had 24 tackles in 15 games his rookie season with two starts. He joined the Minnesota Vikings the following year and in two seasons there recorded 43 tackles and half a sack in 25 games, including four starts. Khyiris spent last season with the Arizona Cardinals and in 13 games, with one start, he produced 22 tackles in just 229 defensive snaps.
Khyiris Tonga's path to starting with the Patriots
Joining the rebuilding Patriots is a smart career move for Khyiris as he enters his fifth NFL season. New England is coming off a disastrous 4-13 campaign and is looking to rebuild a weak top-to-bottom roster.
Put simply, Khyiris Tonga has a clear path to earn a starting spot with the Patriots in 2025. At worst, he should be able to carve out a consistent rotational role.
The Patriots interior defensive line is in flux. The team’s top two defensive tackles from last year, Davon Godcheaux and Daniel Ekuale, weren’t brought back for 2025. Godcheaux was recently traded to the New Orleans Saints while Ekuale is a free agent.
To bolster the defensive line the Patriots announced they will be signing defensive tackle Milton Williams to a monster 4-year, $104 million deal, so he’ll clearly take over one of the starting spots at that position. But the lack of proven quality across the rest of the rest of the interior defensive line opens a potential starting spot for Tonga. Last year with the Arizona Cardinals, Tonga's PFF grade of 60.0 ranked 83rd of 219 interior defensive linemen, which is better than the Patriots returning options.
New England returns Jeremiah Pharms who had 32 tackles and two sacks in 16 games for the Patriots last year, but he was brought back on a two-year minimal deal worth just $2.28 million with $100,000 guaranteed. His 58.1 PFF grade was slightly below Tonga’s performance last season.
Also returning is Jaquelin Roy who had 17 tackles and two sacks in six games in New England last year and was subsequently re-signed on a one-year deal worth just $1.0 million. His 57.7 PFF grade was also just below Tonga’s mark from a season ago.
Christian Barmore, a solid 2021 second round pick by the Patriots, has suffered blood clots and his future is in doubt after missing most of the 2024 season.
While the Patriots could still go out and sign another starting defensive tackle, they have so many roster holes to plug that they might feel comfortable enough going into 2025 with new arrival Milton Williams anchoring the line with Tonga, Pharms, and Roy battling for the second starting spot. Both Pharms and Roy have the advantage over Khyiris Tonga since they are experienced in New England’s defensive scheme, neither is a shoo-in for a starting spot.
Khyiris Tonga has been a solid rotational player throughout his four-years in the NFL.
By signing with the New England Patriots, he has positioned himself to claim a starting role for the first time in his NFL career.