Tom Brady and Shaq Mason celebrate a touchdown against Denver in November 2017. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Today's Shaq Mason's 25th birthday, but the Patriots' starting right guard got his present yesterday. The Pats gave their 2015 fourth-round pick a five-year extension through 2023 worth up to $50 million, $23.5 million guaranteed.
"It's huge, I mean, I love it here, I love my coach, I love my teammates," Mason said. "It's a blessing. I wouldn't really put too much thought into it, really, because I mean, we're still in training camp. It was a blessing for sure. Whether it got done or not, my biggest goal all year was just to play football and, you know, just try to put my best display up."
Bill Belichick, what's Mason meant to the offensive line since turning pro out of Georgia Tech?
"Shaq's done a good job for us from the time he got here," the head coach said. "He came from an offense that is quite different from ours, and he adapted quickly. Did a really good job learning new techniques. He's an athletic player, has good strength, good balance, excellent blocker, can pull, run, and hit. He's gotten better each year, and he's done a good job for us."
Mason's entering his fourth season. He's started 41 of his 46 regular season games, and another eight playoff contests.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports