FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Quick-hit thoughts and notes around the New England Patriots and NFL:
1. Offseason remodeling: With the sting of a decisive loss in Super Bowl LX lingering, coach Mike Vrabel widened the lens with his message to players in their final meeting last Tuesday. He told them it was a “disappointing finish to a phenomenal, exciting, enjoyable year.”
Then he turned to a home analogy. He told players a solid foundation has been built in his first year. And now they will focus on tweaking it, much like finishing a basement or adding space to the existing structure.
“I like the foundation of it, and we’ll try to improve on it,” Vrabel said.
The construction plan will have to come together quickly. The NFL combine begins Feb. 23, so expect a sudden pivot to draft-based chatter, with the Patriots owning the No. 31 overall pick and 11 selections overall. Then the legal negotiating period in free agency starts March 9.
“There’ll be some difficult decisions that we’ll have to make, and we’ll try to do them with the team’s best interest in mind. As always, that’ll never change,” Vrabel said.
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Here is a snapshot of the three key areas that will shape the initial part of the Patriots’ offseason:
Christian Gonzalez extension: For the first time in his career, Gonzalez — who is coming off an exemplary performance in Super Bowl LX — is eligible for a new deal. He said Tuesday, “This is where I got drafted. I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Gonzalez’s situation is similar to Houston Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.’s last March. Stingley was entering his fourth season in the NFL and signed a three-year, $90 million extension that included $89 million in bonuses and guarantees.
Stingley’s historic mark didn’t last long either. The New York Jets gave Sauce Gardner a four-year, $120.4 million extension shortly after as he was set to enter Year 4, as well.
A potential Gonzalez extension will be in the same financial ballpark. And with quarterback Drake Maye eligible for an extension at this time next year, those two financial dominoes would be the richest to fall and have been at the core of the team’s longer-range planning.
Pending free agents on roster: Pass rusher K’Lavon Chaisson, safety Jaylinn Hawkins, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, tight end Austin Hooper and offensive tackle Vederian Lowe are the team’s top players scheduled for unrestricted free agency. All made significant contributions in 2025, with Chaisson and Hawkins at the head of the class as starters. Both are in line for a significant salary increase.
Existing players and contracts: The Patriots have approximately $40 million in salary cap space, per Over the Cap. Some players have contracts that potentially put them on shakier ground to return, or potentially have their deals extended/adjusted — with Vrabel touching on the financial realities facing every team.
“As I was taught, we talk about the business of the NFL, we’re looking for the better, younger, cheaper player every day, and the players that we have are trying to not let that happen,” he said. “And that’s the dynamic. That’s the business of the National Football League.”
For example, receiver Stefon Diggs’ salary cap charge increases from $9.5 million to $26.5 million, and his base salary spikes from $2.9 million to $20.6 million. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore is due $10 million guaranteed if he’s on the roster on the third day of the league year. Right guard Mike Onwenu’s base salary bumps to $16 million and his cap charge to $25 million, and he has no remaining guaranteed money on his deal.
Speaking in general about relational bonds formed over the course of the year, and not specifically about any player’s individual situation, Vrabel said: “We know there’s going to be transactions that take place … we may disagree, but I think there’s a level of respect there.”
2. Needs list: One view of the Patriots’ top five “needs” entering the new league year:
Offensive line: Super Bowl LX left a glaring mark on the unit, particularly with more aggressiveness needed up front.
Edge rusher: There was a drop-off after Chaisson and Harold Landry III, who accounted for 19 of the team’s 48 sacks, and there’s no certainty Chaisson returns.
Explosive receiver: They might have one in 2025 third-round pick Kyle Williams, but at this point it’s hard to say for sure with Williams only receiving 21 targets this season.
Tight end: No. 1 option Hunter Henry is 31 years old and could benefit from a counterpart who excels as a blocker at the line of scrimmage.
Safety: Craig Woodson and Hawkins were an effective 1-2 punch — but Hawkins is a free agent.
3. Gonzalez’s leadership: Gonzalez was selected as a game captain in Super Bowl LX and noted after the game how he’s been working with Vrabel on elevating himself in that area.
“Been trying to find my voice, my leadership,” Gonzalez said. “Everyone knows I’m not much of a gather the team up and give them a speech [type of leader]. Vrabes has been helping me with that, talking with me about it. Trying to grow.”
4. Cash spending: One of the impressive parts about the Seahawks’ championship season is that they ranked 31st in cash spending this season, at $251,535,888, according to Roster Management System. Only the Los Angeles Rams were lower in cash spending ($239,067,863). The Patriots finished the year 17th in cash spending at $301,373,803.
It is a good reminder that it isn’t necessarily what teams spend, but how they spend it.
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5. Hawkins’ future: Hawkins had a breakthrough in his sixth NFL season, playing 85.8% of the defensive snaps over 19 games and totaling 86 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.
He was playing on a one-year, $1.8 million deal that included a modest $350,000 signing bonus, and he shared that he appreciated coaches allowing him to compete for a job even though he wasn’t a highly paid option.
Of his future as he heads to free agency, he said: “I want to remain here for sure. It’s home. What we built here, I feel it’s special.”
6. Chaisson, too: Chaisson, like Hawkins, had a breakthrough in his sixth NFL season by playing 64.9% of the defensive snaps over 20 games while totaling 43 tackles, 10.5 sacks, 28 QB hits and three forced fumbles. Chaisson shared his appreciation for being part of the Patriots’ revival and its role in his career, saying ideally he doesn’t want to leave but will trust in wherever the free agent process leads.
7. Woodson’s rise: The rookie (fourth round, Cal) safety led the Patriots in defensive snaps played (93.7%), proving to be one of the steals of the 2025 draft after totaling 103 tackles, nine passes defended, one interception and three fumble recoveries. Woodson, 24, has bigger goals ahead, saying the experience helped him “trust what I see.”
“I want to take next steps to be a better safety,” Woodson said. “To be able to play as many games I did, not having an injury, learning from the things I did wrong early in the season and be able to play my best ball in the playoffs, was a great thing.”
8. Jones’ favorite: Asked what he’ll cherish the most from the 2025 season, captain/cornerback Marcus Jones noted it began in the offseason.
“I would say the 4 H’s,” said Jones, referencing Vrabel’s team-building project that had every coach and player sharing their history, heartbreak, hope and hero. “We got to know what everyone has going on off the field, their families and stuff. That was a situation where we had a bigger bond when it came down to it.”
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9. Landry lookahead: Landry, who never seemed to be the same after injuring his knee Week 6 at New Orleans, hinted at offseason surgery.
His $11 million base salary is guaranteed for 2026, which will be his ninth in the NFL.
“I’m going to get my knee right, and we’re going to get right back to it,” he said.
10. Did you know? Maye was the second-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history (23 years, 162 days). The youngest was Miami’s Dan Marino (23 years, 127 days) in Super Bowl XIX.
