Ben Brown is sticking around in New England for a little while.

The Vicksburg native and former Ole Miss offensive lineman signed a free agent contract with the New England Patriots on Thursday. The one-year deal is reportedly worth $1.03 million.

The deal will bring him back to the Patriots after they signed him off the Las Vegas Raiders’ practice squad in October. Brown wound up starting 10 games before missing the last two because of a concussion.

The 26-year-old St. Aloysius High School alum allowed four sacks in 667 snaps as the Patriots finished 4-13. According to Pro Football Focus grades, Brown ranked 54th out of 64 NFL centers, although he did earn praise for stabilizing a struggling and injury-ravaged offensive line. He stepped into the starting lineup just four days after signing with the Patriots.

Brown’s role for 2025 is uncertain. He got his shot with the Patriots, in part, because of a wave of injuries that included veteran centers David Andrews and Cole Strange. Brown can also play guard, which could allow him to be a valuable backup if not a starter.

The Patriots currently have 13 offensive linemen under contract for 2025 and are expected to try and upgrade the line in the draft.

Brown also played for the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, Arizona Cardinals and the Raiders over three seasons in the NFL. He originally signed with the Bengals as an undrafted free agent in 2022.

Brown was signed by the Patriots as an exclusive rights free agent. An exclusive rights free agent is a player with two or fewer accrued seasons and an expired contract. If a team extends a qualifying contract offer to an exclusive rights free agent, the player must take it or else he cannot sign with another team.