Patriots Match Raiders’ Offer Sheet For Linebacker Christian Elliss

Christian Elliss will officially be staying in Foxborough.

The New England Patriots have matched the Las Vegas Raiders’ offer sheet for the restricted free agent, as first reported by Mike Reiss of ESPN and Tom Pelissero of NFL Media.

Monday marked the deadline to do so. Otherwise, his new contract was set to depart from the AFC East for the AFC West without draft compensation arriving in return.

Elliss, 26, had been tendered at the right of first refusal leading up to the start of the league year. But that one-year, $3.263 million level proved to be a placeholder over the course of March. The linebacker is now signed with the organization through the 2026 season.

The Raiders hosted Elliss on a visit last week. A two-year offer sheet followed on the league’s transaction wire two days later. And that started the clock for head coach Mike Vrabel, executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf & Co. to accept the terms or accept the exit.

Tendered restricted free agents are allowed to negotiate with teams around the league through April 19. The negotiating rights for those who do not have offer sheets executed by April 18, however, revert to their previous team.

But Elliss’ previous team will remain his current team.

The University of Idaho product has spent time on three practice squads and accrued as many seasons since entering the NFL as an undrafted rookie in 2021. He made stops with the Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers before being claimed off waivers during the final weeks of 2023.

After playing 87 snaps in the kicking game from there for Bill Belichick’s Patriots, Elliss saw his role expand in 2024 during Jerod Mayo’s stay as head coach. He appeared in 16 games for a position group that lost captain and green dot Ja’Whaun Bentley to injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle. Along the way came 513 downs on defense, 247 downs on special teams and new career highs.

Elliss, who entered last fall with 37 NFL tackles, proceeded to tally 80 stops from the opener through the finale. He added 1.5 sacks as well as one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and his first interception.

Five starts and five passes defensed were logged by Elliss, who earned a base salary of $985,000. The 6-foot-2, 231-pound linebacker now returns to a restocked room at Gillette Stadium.

Veteran Robert Spillane reached agreement on a three-year, $33 million contract as the league’s legal tampering window opened. And last week, a fellow former Tennessee Titans undrafted free agent in Jack Gibbens visited and signed. The off-the-ball depth chart also includes Bentley, Jahlani Tavai and Monty Rice after the club recently waived Curtis Jacobs and Andrew Parker Jr.