The Patriots may have arrived at the top of the AFC a bit early here in 2025. Certainly, the hope always was that New England would rebuild after a pair of 4-13 seasons, some coaching churn from Bill Belichick to Jerod Mayo to Mike Vrabel and the development of quarterback Drake Maye. But few expected the arrival to come in the first half of Vrabel’s first season.
The Patriots certainly spent in the offseason in such a way as to indicate they are serious about getting things turned around. They shelled out more than $300 million in free-agent contract, with well over $120 million in guaranteed money. That’s a dangerous game in the NFL–free agency is the least efficient way to build a team in this league.
But the Patriots hit on multiple players, from Milton Williams and Robert Spillane, to Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. And what’s more, they were careful with how they structured deals so that, when they arrive at next winter’s free-agent market, they will be positioned to create another $100 million in space to spend and add.
Patriots Heading to Big Offseason in 2026
At Spotrac, the contract-expert site, editor Mike Ginnitti gushed this week about where the Patriots are and, more important, where they are headed, especially with a spike in the NFL salary cap expected.
“They have set themselves up for a little bit more free-agency, draft, extension space in 2026, and I guess that’s where I will switch my focus. …” Ginnitti said on “The Spotrac Podcast.” “The Top 51 space looks pretty darn good, there is $66 million and change to work with, that’s with 44 contracts on the books and a few of those could fall off.”
The Patriots are in good shape.
“It’s a well-oiled machine with one of the best quarterbacks in football,” Ginnitti said.
Drake Maye Driving Financial Bonus
No doubt, it is Drake Maye, who is on his rookie contract, who is driving the positive outlook. Having an MVP-caliber quarterback on a rookie deal is a rare treasure in the NFL. The soft schedule the Patriots have faced is a factor, but before the schedule toughens up next year, there will be a chance to toughen the roster, too.
“Overall this is a 9-2 team with the MVP favorite, who is cost-controlled through 2026, they are able to create cap space that will get you upward of $100 million fairly easily with cap conversions on these top hits,” Ginnitti said.
Patriots Outlook: ‘This is Not Flukey’
Milton Williams at $29 million and Stefon Diggs at $26 million are slated to be the biggest hits on the Patriots books in 2026, but now that they can say they will be keeping those players, the Patriots can shift some of their commitments around to create a massive swath of space, perhaps to bolster the pass rush or add another top offense weapon.
“Next year, they’ll have a tougher schedule, because they’ll be a division winner and things trickle down from there,” Ginnitti said. “The schedule will be a little more impactful, but so will this roster. One more year of experience, especially if it is playoff experience. Probably one or two impact free agents because of the space they had. You can expect that this is going to be one of the odds-on favorites.”
Patriots-haters, of which there are many, of course, are in for some disappointment, then. Looking at the books and the decisions this franchise has made, Ginnitti noted, “This is not flukey.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Patriots Could Follow 2025 Breakthrough With $100 Million in Free Agents appeared first on Heavy Sports.