The New England Patriots lost their eighth Super Bowl this season with a score of 29-13 against the Seattle Seahawks. While heart breaking, they made it so far and fell short; the team’s future is among the brightest in the entire NFL.
The vast majority of the Patriots’ core is still very young. Drake Maye, TreVeyon Henderson, Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Christian Gonzalez and Craig Woodson are all 26 or younger, as is Will Campbell if he can bounce back in 2026. They’ve set a high floor at 14-3, but there’s no doubt the team has the potential to win a Lombardi.
The Patriots are tenth in effective cap space and have 12 draft picks in 2026. After spending by far the most of any team in free agency last season, a more modest spending year could be in order. Back in 2021, the Patriots were first in free agency spending, just as they were last offseason. In 2022, they ranked 30th, spending less than $28 million, after a 10-7 season. Of the nearly $300 million spent in total contracts in 2021, 51.7% was guaranteed at signing. They spent 22.8% more in total contracts in 2025 relative to 2021, but similarly, 48% was guaranteed at signing. Another massive spending bout this offseason would no doubt improve the roster, but it may not be feasible for the Krafts, who seem to stagger their spending. Since Tom Brady’s departure in 2020, the Patriots have been 28th, 1st, 30th, 14th, 13th, and 1st in free agency spending. On average, that’s puts them in 14.5th place in spending despite a pair of bottom-5 finishes and first place finishes.
If New England is to be more modest this offseason, I’d expect re-signing ‘25 contributors and bringing in budget options might be a priority. Thayer Munford, Khyiris Tonga and Jack Gibbens will all cost very little despite having sizable roles down the stretch. Players like K’Lavon Chiasson and Jaylinn Hawkins have earned themselves a bigger market, and while neither is likely to see lucrative deals, the $10-12 and $7-9 million ranges seem reasonable for each respective player.
Players like Chargers running back Najee Harris and Giants safety Dane Belton could be an excellent budget finds for New England in free agency. Harris missed all but two games with a torn Achilles this season but would offer an experienced third back behind Henderson and Rhamondre Stevenson should the team release Antonio Gibson. Mike Vrabel’s defense thrived with three safeties on the field in Tennessee, so bringing in Belton regardless of Hawkins’ future could be a move to help add depth and bring a Tennessee element to New England.
The Patriots could also look to players who have been or could be released by their teams as cap casualties. The Dolphins released Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb on Monday, while the Packers have been rumored to cut Elgton Jenkins and Rashan Gary. While less likely, Giants nose tackle Dexter Lawrence’s name has been tossed around as a cap casualty as well.
If New England is to make a big swing in free agency, there are candidates. Aside from the aforementioned cut candidates, A.J. Brown and George Pickens (franchise tag likely) could be trade candidates on the offensive side of the ball. Maxx Crosby has been named in trade talks, while it’s been rumored the Bengals will opt not to use the franchise tag on Trey Hendrickson. Any of these moves will be costly, in terms of finances and potentially draft picks, but none of them are out of the question.
The final big money move the Patriots could make would be to retain one of their own. For the first time in his career, Christian Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension. His Super Bowl performance was arguably the best game of his career, and his playoff performances across the postseason were something to behold. He’s become the highest paid cornerback in football with an extension, eclipsing Sauce Gardner’s four-year, $120.4 million deal. It seems a real possibility Gonzalez will become the first cornerback to hit the $31 million per year mark, thus one-upping Williams as the highest paid Patriot of all-time.
All-in-all, the Patriots have the opportunity to take some big swings this offseason to improve their squad. Already one of the most promising young teams in the NFL, it’s incredibly encouraging to see them have the resources to acquire a top receiver or edge defender. If New England wants to return to the Super Bowl in 2027, they’ll need to make some major upgrades to the roster, and in the coming months, we’ll see exactly what those upgrades are.