FOXBORO — The Patriots were able to keep their young core in place this offseason by bringing back their own free agents. The most surprising re-signing they were able to pull off was keeping Joshua Uche on a one-year, $3 million contract.

Uche — who previously went by Josh but now wants to be called by the full name his father, Emmanuel, gave him — had another offer on the table worth $15 million over two years, NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero reported after the 25-year-old edge defender re-signed. Uche’s base deal is worth $3 million with the Patriots but is worth up to $8 million with incentives.

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“There were some options on the table, but in my heart, I felt I was destined to be a Patriot,” Uche said. “Despite what was offered, I felt like this was my calling to be a Patriot. I felt like it was what I was destined to do and I felt like this is what I want to be. I don’t want to be anywhere else. You gotta do what you gotta do, follow your heart.”

Uche went break down the thought process behind his decision.

“It was interesting. I had a lot of people calling me crazy. A lot of people focusing on the financial parts of the decision. But I feel like the team that gave me an opportunity, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Uche said. “I can’t envision myself playing for another team. However that shakes out, I know at the end of the day, the ball was in my court, and this is the dream that I wanted to fulfill, to be a Patriot.”

The 2020 second-round pick said that continuing to play for head coach Jerod Mayo and defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington “played a large role” in his decision to return.

“They know me best,” Uche said. “They know me better than any other coach in the league could possibly know me. There’s no place I’d rather be than playing for those guys.”

He was asked if he felt like he was betting on himself by signing a one-year contract with incentives rather than a heftier two-year deal. If Uche can perform like he did in 2022, when he had 11.5 sacks, he’ll likely earn an even bigger deal next offseason. The Michigan product took a step back in 2023, when he registered just 3.5 sacks.

“You could say that,” Uche acknowledged. “This is home for me, so I know the ins and outs. I know the coaching staff. I know the players, the guys here. I know this is home for me. I don’t know if it’s that much of a bet, because this is my home, but in terms of finances and years and stuff like that, yeah, you could consider that a bet, if you will. But if I’m going to bet on anyone, I’m going to bet on myself and my teammates.”

Uche is confident he can return to form from his 2022 season under Mayo and Covington. He also dove into the reasons why he was less productive last season.

“2023, I was doing my job,” Uche said. “Sometimes the sack will be there, sometimes they won’t. Sometimes you get some pressures, some disruptions to throw off the timing and stuff like that. Sometimes you hit those home runs each time. Sometimes it connects, but I was just doing my job the best that I could to the best of my ability. And sometimes you hit those home runs and it feels great, but sometimes it don’t, but you got to do your job and allow your teammates to step up and also do their job and fulfill their roles, as well. So I had my different roles that the team asked me to do and that’s all I could do at the end of the day.”