Joe Thuney not expected to reach long-term extension with Patriots prior to deadline, per report

Thuney looks like he'll play under the tag in 2020

Typically, whenever the Patriots have utilized the franchise tag during the Bill Belichick era, it's often been used as simply a placeholder for a longer-term deal to be agreed upon down the road. That was the case the last time they deployed it in 2015 with kicker Stephen Gostkowski, who later signed a four-year deal with the franchise, along with Logan Mankins (2011) and Vince Wilfork (2010). As the 4 p.m. ET deadline for the 2020 season draws closer, however, Joe Thuney looks to be heading down a different path. 

New England's starting left guard is not expected to have an extension prior to Wednesday's deadline, which means he'll play the 2020 season under the franchise tag, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. This was the way things were trending for quite some time, so it's not a total shock that Thuney and the Patriots couldn't execute a long-term deal, but it's also not how things were originally poised to go down. As the Patriots made the official announcement that they were placing the tag on Thuney, the team noted at the time that this designation "allows both sides more time to try to reach the goal of a long-term agreement." 

That goal, however, is likely to go unachieved this time around. 

Prior to Thuney being tagged, the Patriots have used the franchise tag nine times over the course of Belichick's tenure in Foxborough. Wes Welker (2012) was the last player to play on the tag and eventually left the organization to sign with the Denver Broncos that following offseason. After an August holdout, cornerback Asante Samuel also played on the tag under Belichick in 2007 and eventually signed with the Philadelphia Eagles that next free agency cycle. This all illustrates some precedent for the Patriots to have a player go into the regular season with the tag, but if Thuney follows this trajectory, his time in New England is to be up soon. 

The 27-year-old was drafted by the club in the third round of the 2016 draft and has been a part of two Super Bowl-winning teams during that stretch. Over the course of his still-young career, Thuney has blossomed into one of the better left guards in the NFL, earning second-team All-Pro honors in 2019. He's also been as durable as they come as the 6-foot-5, 308-pounder has started all 64 regular-season games and all 10 postseason matchups at left guard for the Patriots. 

Thuney has been the subject to some trade rumors this offseason, but as long as the Patriots keep him in-house, he'll be a vital piece to the offensive line whether or not it's Cam Newton, Jarrett Stidham or Brian Hoyer under center as the team begins the post-Tom Brady era.