Rob Ninkovich, Patriots Agree on New Contract: Latest Details and Reaction

The New England Patriots reportedly agreed to a one-year contract extension with Rob Ninkovich that will keep him with the team through the 2017 season, per ESPN.com's Mike Reiss and the Boston Globe's Ben Volin.

The veteran defensive end is serving a four-game suspension following a positive test for a banned substance.

A source told Reiss that Ninkovich was "most appreciative of [the] team's gesture."

Volin noted it will save Ninkovich roughly $118,000 as he sits out during the suspension. Whereas his previous $1.5 million base salary called for him to forfeit nearly $353,000 in fines, he'll now be on the hook for $235,000 with his base salary dropping to $1 million.

Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith added the team changed the terms of his deal to ensure he could earn the full value of his roster bonus:

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In other words, under his old contract he had to play in all 16 games to earn the maximum roster bonus of $400,000. His suspension meant that he would make, at most, a roster bonus of $300,000. Now Ninkovich needs to play just 12 games to make the $400,000 bonus, so if he plays every game after serving his suspension, he'll still get that $400,000 roster bonus he would have received if he hadn't been suspended and had played 16 games.

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NESN's Doug Kyed wondered if New England is thinking multiple moves ahead in extending Ninkovich:

Since joining the Patriots in 2009, the 32-year-old has been a steady presence for the team. Before this year, he missed just one game in seven years. In 2015, he registered 6.5 sacks and 52 combined tackles.

New England obviously sees Ninkovich as a key member of the defense this year and beyond to agree to an extension while he's suspended. Keeping him in the fold will also provide security along the Patriots defensive line should their gamble on Chris Long not pay off.