2026 New England Patriots season
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| 2026 New England Patriots season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Robert Kraft |
| General manager | Eliot Wolf |
| Head coach | Mike Vrabel |
| Offensive coordinator | Josh McDaniels |
| Defensive coordinator | Zak Kuhr |
| Home stadium | Gillette Stadium |
| Uniform | |
 | |
The 2026 season will be the New England Patriots' 57th in the National Football League (NFL), their 67th overall, their third under de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and their second under head coach Mike Vrabel. The Patriots will look to match or improve on their 14–3 record from the previous season and become the first team originating in the American Football League to reach 600 lifetime wins.
Free agency
Unrestricted
| Position | Player | 2026 team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | K'Lavon Chaisson | Washington Commanders | March 13, 2026[1] | 1 year, $11 million[2] |
| S | Jaylinn Hawkins | Baltimore Ravens | March 12, 2026[3] | 2 years, $10 million[4] |
| TE | Austin Hooper | Atlanta Falcons | March 12, 2026[5] | 1 year, $3.25 million[6] |
| OT | Vederian Lowe | San Francisco 49ers | March 12, 2026[7] | 2 years, $9.25 million[8] |
| OT | Thayer Munford | |||
| DT | Khyiris Tonga | Kansas City Chiefs | March 12, 2026[9] | 3 years, $21 million[10] |
Restricted
| Position | Player | 2026 team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | Alex Austin | Miami Dolphins | March 12, 2026[11] | 1 year, $1.22 million[12] |
| QB | Tommy DeVito | New England Patriots | TBC | 2 years, $4.4 million[13] |
| OT | Yasir Durant | |||
| LB | Jack Gibbens | Arizona Cardinals | March 16, 2026[14] | 2 years, $7.5 million[15] |
| DT | Jaquelin Roy |
Exclusive Rights
| Position | Player | 2026 team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DT | Isaiah Iton | |||
| RB | Deneric Prince | |||
| FB | Jack Westover | New England Patriots | April 21, 2026[16] | 1 year, $1.075 million[17] |
Signings/waiver claims
| Position | Player | Previous team | Date signed | Contract |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | Jesse Luketa | Los Angeles Rams | March 05, 2026[18] | 1 year, $1.145 million[19] |
| S | Mike Brown | Tennessee Titans | March 12, 2026[20] | 1 year, $1.315 million[21] |
| S | Kevin Byard | Chicago Bears | 1 year, $7 million[22] | |
| WR | Romeo Doubs | Green Bay Packers | 4 years, $68 million[23] | |
| FB | Reggie Gilliam | Buffalo Bills | 3 years, $10.8 million[24] | |
| TE | Julian Hill | Miami Dolphins | 3 years, $15 million[25] | |
| LB | Dre'Mont Jones | Baltimore Ravens | 3 years, $36.5 million[26] | |
| OG | Alijah Vera-Tucker | New York Jets | 3 years, $42 million[27] | |
| LB | K.J. Britt | Miami Dolphins | March 16, 2026[28] | 1 year, $1.4025 million[29] |
| LS | Niko Lalos | New Orleans Saints | 1 year, $1.005 million[30] | |
| OT | James Hudson | New York Giants | March 23, 2026[31] | 1 year, $1.4025 million[32] |
| CB | Kindle Vildor | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 1 year, $1.4025 million[33] |
Releases/waivers
| Position | Player | Date released/waived |
|---|---|---|
| RB | Antonio Gibson | February 23, 2026[34] |
| WR | Stefon Diggs | March 11, 2026[35] |
| LB | Anfernee Jennings | |
| LB | Jahlani Tavai | |
| QB | Joshua Dobbs | March 23, 2026[36] |
| WR | John Jiles | April 27, 2026[37] |
| TE | Marshall Lang | |
| RB | Elijah Mitchell | April 28, 2026[38] |
Trades
- March 11 – Center Garrett Bradbury was traded to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a 2027 fifth-round selection.[35]
- April 7 – Linebacker Marte Mapu and a 2027 seventh-round selection was traded to the Houston Texans in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round selection.[39]
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 28 | Caleb Lomu | OT | Utah | From Texans via Bills |
| 2 | 55 | Gabe Jacas | LB | Illinois | From Chargers |
| 3 | 95 | Eli Raridon | TE | Notre Dame | |
| 5 | 171 | Karon Prunty | CB | Wake Forest | |
| 6 | 196 | Dametrious Crownover | OT | Texas A&M | From Colts via Vikings, Panthers and Jaguars |
| 212 | Namdi Obiazor | LB | TCU | ||
| 7 | 234 | Behren Morton | QB | Texas Tech | From Vikings |
| 245 | Jam Miller | RB | Alabama | From Rams via Texans and Jaguars | |
| 247 | Quintayvious Hutchins | LB | Boston College |
| Name | Position | College | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tanner Arkin | TE | Illinois | [40] |
| David Blay Jr. | DT | Miami | |
| Channing Canada | CB | TCU | |
| Nick DeGennaro | WR | James Madison | |
| Kyle Dixon | WR | Culver–Stockton | |
| Cameron Dorner | WR | North Texas | |
| Kenneth Harris | CB | Oklahoma State | |
| Jimmy Kibble | WR | Georgetown | |
| Myles Montgomery | RB | UCF | |
| JonDarius Morgan | OG | UAB | |
| Jacob Rizy | OG | Florida State | |
Staff
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Current roster
Preseason
The Patriots' preseason opponents and schedule will be announced in the spring.
Regular season
2026 opponents
Listed below are the Patriots' opponents for 2026. Exact dates and times will be announced in the spring.[41]
| Category | Home | Away |
|---|---|---|
| Division opponents (AFC East) | Buffalo Bills Miami Dolphins New York Jets | |
| Conference opponents (AFC West) | Denver Broncos Las Vegas Raiders | Kansas City Chiefs Los Angeles Chargers |
| Conference opponents (based on 2025 division placement) | Pittsburgh Steelers | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| Interconference opponents (NFC North) | Green Bay Packers Minnesota Vikings | Chicago Bears Detroit Lions |
| Interconference opponent (based on 2025 division placement) | No game | Seattle Seahawks |
