SANTA CLARA, Calif. — The New England Patriots fell just short of winning the franchise’s seventh championship, losing to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. The sting of this bludgeoning at Levi’s Stadium will likely stick with the organization for quite a while, but the 2026 campaign will be here in short order. Before then, the Patriots will need to retool so they not only get back to the big game but come out on the winning side next time around.
As Mike Vrabel’s team licks its wounds as it heads back to Foxborough and looks out toward the offseason, there are a number of things the franchise will need to address. Below, we’ll give an initial preview of what should be on the to-do list for New England over these next few months.
Consider a position change for Will Campbell
One of the biggest reasons why the Patriots were incapable of moving the ball with any sort of regularity in Super Bowl LX was due to their inability to protect Drake Maye. Specifically, it was a rough showing from rookie left tackle Will Campbell. According to Next Gen Stats’ metrics, Campbell allowed a game-high 14 pressures on 53 dropbacks to go along with a sack. Sheesh.
Protection has been a problem for Campbell and the rest of New England’s offensive line all postseason, with Maye being sacked 21 times over four playoff games, which is the most in a single playoff run all time.
This poor performance in the Super Bowl should open the door for a discussion on where Campbell should be lining up in 2026. Coming into the NFL out of LSU last year, there was plenty of conversation about Campbell being better served as a guard rather than a tackle. New England drafted him No. 4 overall with the hope of him being their blindside tackle for the future, but that hasn’t come to fruition. Upon reviewing his season, Vrabel and Co. may come away with kicking him inside to guard and moving Jared Wilson to center (played center at Georgia) as the best option for everyone. Of course, that now creates a hole at left tackle that Eliot Wolf will need to target in some fashion.
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Target a true No. 1 weapon for Drake Maye
New England was able to revamp the offense around Maye last offseason and get it to a point where he was able to elevate into an MVP candidate. However, there’s still room for this skill-position group to grow, and the Patriots need to use this offseason to find Maye a true No. 1 weapon in the passing game. Stefon Diggs became the team’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Julian Edelman, but the veteran ran too hot and cold this season. For instance, he largely vanished in Super Bowl LX, catching three passes for 37 yards. Diggs would be a solid No. 1 option at this stage, but the Patriots desperately need a game-breaker that Maye can lean on.
Could that be a seemingly disgruntled wide receiver in Philadelphia that used to play under Vrabel in Tennessee named A.J. Brown? It’d be worth exploring that possibility and other ones of that caliber.
Looming Christian Gonzalez extension
Christian Gonzalez is extension-eligible this offseason, and the Patriots corner could command a market-setting deal. Currently, Sauce Gardner of the Indianapolis Colts is the highest-paid corner in the league, fetching an average annual salary of $30.1 million per season. Gonzalez will be looking to top that number, joining Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. as cornerbacks making at least $30 million in AAV.
Gonzalez has developed into one of the best corners in the NFL and is coming off a strong showing in Super Bowl LX, further bolstering his value. That said, the Jets did trade Gardner for two first-round picks at the trade deadline this season, which is notable. If talks with Gonzalez go off the rails, a couple of firsts would be the going rate for someone of his caliber.
Offseason assets, free agents
Notable free agents:
- Austin Hooper, TE
- K’Lavon Chaisson, EDGE
- Khyiris Tonga, DL
- Jaylinn Hawkins, S
- Jack Gibbens, LB (RFA)
- Thayer Munford Jr., OT
- Tommy DeVito, QB (RFA)
- Yasir Durant, OT (RFA)
- Alex Austin, CB (RFA)
- Vederian Lowe, OT
- Deneric Prince, RB (ERFA)
- Jaquelin Roy, DL (RFA)
- Isaiah Iton, DL (ERFA)
- Jack Westover, TE (ERFA)
New England is currently projected to have $42.7 million in available salary cap space this offseason, according to Over the Cap. That ranks 11th-highest in the league. At the 2026 NFL Draft, the Patriots first selection will be No. 31 overall.
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