Some pretty surprising news came out on Wednesday evening as DeVante Parker got a new three-year deal worth up to $33 million including $14 million in guarantees.

Parker was set to be a free agent after this season and while he’s been steady here, there was nothing that indicated Parker had done anything to warrant another deal until proving it on the field again in 2023.

There’s a few takeaways from this one for me. The first one is that it shouldn’t keep the Patriots from signing DeAndre Hopkins. In fact, I think it helps.

When Parker was questioned during minicamp about Hopkins coming in for a visit, he quickly said “we’re fine” (at the position) and “next question.” It was very, very clear that Parker didn’t necessarily love the idea and it seemed like he would be the odd man out, although Kendrick Bourne could certainly be in that camp too. Now, if New England does sign him, Parker knows he’s secure. If anything, he should want Hopkins in the locker room considering how much easier it would make his job.

Another way to look at this is that he’s already gained the trust of Bill O’Brien. Does O’Brien decide who gets contracts? Of course not, but it’s probably safe to say he’s been able to vouch for Parker and believes he can make him a big part of this offense. Parker was also very, very quiet compared to other players when it came to the offensive coaching debacle last year. Don’t think Bill Belichick didn’t notice. Statistically the deal may not make much sense, but Belichick needs to reward those that are loyal to him right now with the locker room still probably on some shaky ground. Parker seems willing to do whatever is asked of him and that can’t be overlooked.

Last but not least, it supplies Mac Jones with a familiar face for the next couple years. After losing Meyers, going through numerous offensive coordinators and having a tug-of-war in the media with his head coach, Jones needs as much consistency around him as he can possibly get. At least now, Parker is one of the few guys that will be able to say he’s been with Mac more than anyone. This also assures more depth (assuming Parker stays healthy) considering questions still surround Tyquan Thornton and JuJu Smith-Schuster not just this year, but moving forward.

This is one of those deals that may not make sense to many on the outside, but when you dig a little deeper this one mostly comes down to loyalty and Parker’s ability to stay out of the pig pile on his decision making last season.