It’s been quite a few seasons since folks around New England could say that the focus of the Patriots should be on the here and now, and not worry about looking ahead to next year. But after back-to-back four-win outputs, the Patriots are 11-2 and atop the AFC East, with as good a chance as anyone to not only reach the playoffs but perhaps get to the conference championship and–gulp!–the Super Bowl thereafter.
This is not a wait-til-next-year bunch.
Still, this does have the feel as the beginning of a powerhouse, and it’s important to keep building into the future. Poor decisions or sitting on laurels can smack a franchise right back down after a breakout season, with teams like the Vikings (14-3 in 2024) and Commanders (12-5) serving as good examples.
The Patriots should have ample cap space available. And while this season’s crop of receivers has proven to be very well pieced together, it’s still a group that could use a star. On that front, CBS Sports is predicting that New England will seek the biggest one on the market: George Pickens.
George Pickens Wants to Stay With Cowboys
It would be a longshot for the Patriots to pry Pickens out of Dallas, where the Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones have vowed to pay him what it takes to keep him on board. But Jones and Pickens’ agency, Athletes First, have a frosty relationship–it’s the same agency that represents Micah Parsons.
Pickens rates No. 2 in the league in yardage this year, at 1,142, and has blossomed in his time with the Cowboys. It was as shrewd trade from Dallas, as Pickens was brought on for the low cost of a third-round pick from the Steelers this offseason.
Writes CBS, before predicting the Patriots as a suitor for Pickens: “Pickens was notoriously emotional while playing for Pittsburgh, but he’s been nothing but a team player in Dallas, and his production suggests he’s due for a monster payday. The question, as is often the case with Cowboys stars, is whether owner Jerry Jones will prolong rather than rush to resolve pending contract talks.”
Patriots in Position to Lure George Pickens
If there is a team that could lure Pickens away from the Cowboys, though, it is the Patriots. For one thing, they’ll have money on hand. Over the Cap projects that the Patriots will have more than $49 million in cap space, and the ability to create more. Spotrac projects Pickens to warrant a deal worth almost $31 million per year, with a five-year, $154 contract coming Pickens’ way.
Dallas is already paying CeeDee Lamb $34 million per year. That could prove too hefty a payment for a pair of receivers.
Pickens has meshed well with Dak Prescott, but with his speed and size, joining forces with the most accurate deep-ball thrower in the NFL–Drake Maye of the Patriots–would do wonders for his career.
The Patriots’ Drake Maye looked like an MVP candidate again on Monday night. (Getty)
Patriots Receivers Will Need Help
The Patriots, again, have assembled a strong receiving room. But Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins are both 32 years old, and even if they cam replicate what they’ve done in 2025, they’re not likely to be around long. It would behoove the Patriots to pursue whatever No. 1 option they can find.
There probably will be only one such receiver available in free agency this offseason. That’s Pickens. It’s a longshot, certainly, but he’d make sense with the Patriots.
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