The Patriots surprised plenty of people this year as they reached the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach. But after getting blown out on the biggest stage, what’s next?
Overall, the season has to be viewed as a success for the rebuilding Patriots. They surprised many with a record of 14-3 in the regular season, earning them the No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
The Patriots opened the postseason with a 16-3 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, with a crowd so electric that owner Robert Kraft said it made him feel like “the old days.” New England then beat the Houston Texans and Denver Broncos to reach the Super Bowl, where they lost to Seattle, 29-13.
With the season now concluded, New England’s focus now shifts to the offseason.
Key NFL offseason dates
The NFL Combine will be held February 23 through March 2 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
March 3 is the deadline for the Patriots and other NFL teams to place the franchise or transition tag on their players.
Just under a week later, the fun begins. NFL Free Agency unofficially gets underway at noon on March 9. Teams can “legally tamper” with players. That day, many players will quickly agree to deals that can be officially announced when the new league year begins on March 11 at 4 p.m.
The 2026 NFL Draft will be held from April 23-25 in Pittsburgh. The first round is Thursday night in primetime, followed by the second and third rounds Friday night. The rest of the draft is held on Saturday.
Patriots picks in 2026 NFL Draft
With the Super Bowl over, the Patriots now know where they will pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. New England holds the No. 31 pick, with only the Seahawks picking behind them in the first round.
Tom Brady’s Las Vegas Raiders have the No. 1 overall pick.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots now have 11 picks in this year’s draft.
The Patriots have one pick in each of the first three rounds. New England then has two fourth round picks, one pick in the fifth round, four sixth-round selections and a seventh round pick they recouped when Keion White was active in a seventh game for the San Francisco 49ers.
Patriots cap space and pending free agents
As highlighted by Alex Barth of 98.5 the Sports Hub, the Patriots have only seven unrestricted free agents.
For comparison, the Washington Commanders lead the NFL with 30 pending free agents, followed by the Miami Dolphins, who have 29 of their own.
For New England, running back D’Ernest Johnson, tight end Austin Hooper, left tackle Vederian Lowe, offensive lineman Thayer Munford, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, linebacker K’Lavon Chaisson and safety Jaylinn Hawkins are the team’s players who could hit the open market.
According to Over the Cap, the Patriots have just over $42 million in salary cap space heading into free agency.
Drake Maye finished second in NFL MVP voting. But in four playoff games he struggled, and the offensive line had issues throughout the postseason. That could leave the Patriots looking to spend on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
The team could also turn to the trade market. During Super Bowl week, NFL insider Dianna Russini said that star Raiders pass rusher Maxx Crosby may seek a trade, and has told her in the past he would love to play for Mike Vrabel. The Philadelphia Eagles could potentially move on from wide receiver A.J. Brown after a tumultuous season.
New England may also have to open its checkbook for a homegrown star. Christian Gonzalez, who made several incredible plays during a dominant Super Bowl performance, is eligible for an extension and is considered one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
2026 Patriots opponents
The Patriots don’t know their schedule for next year, but they know who they will play.
As usual, New England will play each AFC East team twice. That means two matchups against the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.
In addition, the Patriots will play the NFC North and AFC West in the upcoming season.
The Bears and Lions will host New England, while the Packers and Vikings will play at Gillette Stadium. From the AFC West, the Patriots will play the Broncos and Raiders at home and the Chiefs and Chargers on the road.
Because the Patriots won the AFC East this year, they are “rewarded” with a first place schedule. They will travel to face the Jacksonville Jaguars and a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks in addition to hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots’ 2026 schedule is considered to be one of the hardest in the NFL, which is a change of pace compared the the 2025 season that featured a historically easy slate by strength of schedule metrics.
