New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady paid tribute to his long-time teammate, wide receiver Danny Amendola, who will join the Miami Dolphins on a two-year contract. On his Instagram account, Brady shared several photos of him and Amendola celebrating some of the Patriots’ Super Bowl wins. The photos carry the caption “Teammate. Friend. Brother. Leader. Champion. #80 #DannyPlayoff.” During his stint with the Patriots, Amendola proved to be one of the team’s most clutch receivers.
In their AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Amendola caught two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, carrying the team to a 24-20 win. In 13 playoff games with the Patriots, Amendola had 57 catches for 709 yards and six touchdowns.
Brady was not the first Patriots to wish Amendola well on social media. Earlier, fellow wide receiver and close friend Julian Edelman posted a photo of him and Amendola celebrating their Super Bowl LI win. Edelman also wrote: Hell of a ride these past few years Dolamite... save a seat for me down in South Beach. Amendola and Edelman played together for five years with the Patriots.
In the regular season, the 32-year-old Amendola caught 61 passes for 659 yards and two touchdowns. In his career with the St. Louis Rams and the Patriots, Amendola has caught 426 passes for 4,109 yards and 19 touchdowns.
Titans sign Butler to five-year, $61 million deal
Former Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler finally got the big-money deal that he’s been looking for as he agreed to a five-year deal worth more than $61 million, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network Insider. Rapoport’s sources indicated that Butler’s deal has a guaranteed money of $30 million. In Tennessee, Butler will have no problems adjusting as he will play alongside some familiar faces. New Titans head coach Miek Vrabel, general manager Jon Robinson and cornerback Logan Ryan spent time with the Patriots.
Butler left the Patriots after he was benched in Super Bowl LII. In his four-year stint with the Patriots, Butler tallied 205 total tackles with eight interceptions.
Titans to add rusher Dion Lewis
Hours after agreeing to a deal with Butler, the Titans are also expected to sign Patriots running back Dion Lewis to a four-year deal, Rapoport said. Per his sources, Rapoport said Lewis would be paid as a top-10 NFL running back. Earlier, it was reported that Lewis was looking for a contract with a value of $18 million a year. Last season, Lewis tallied a career-high 896 yards and six touchdowns and added 32 catches for 214 yards and three scores for the Patriots.