New England

Patriots

Diggs is facing felony strangulation and suffocation charges, along with misdemeanor assault and battery charges stemming from an incident that involved him and his personal chef. Diggs is next scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing on April 1st. Diggs’ attorney said he “categorically denies these allegations.” This is a situation that is likely to play out over the next several months, but we would expect the league to decide whether or not to hand down a fine and/or suspension once this is resolved.

Kuhr took over defensive play-calling duties while Williams underwent treatment for prostate cancer this season. Williams is reportedly cancer-free, and will occupy a new role next season. Rapoport labels Kuhr “a top candidate” for the Patriots’ new defensive coordinator vacancy.

Mitchell played just one game with the Chiefs in 2025 before being released in December. He ended the season on the Patriots’ practice squad and the team has decided to bring him back for the offseason. Mitchell rushed for 963 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie with the 49ers but has struggled to find a role since. Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson headline the Pats’ backfield, but Mitchell will get a chance to compete for a depth role this offseason.

Vrabel on Tuesday offered a vociferous defense of the rookie following his postseason struggles while playing through a major knee injury. “Will is 22 years old. He’s our left tackle. He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger,” Vrabel said. “There’s plays he’d like to have back. We’re not moving Will to guard, center, tight end or anywhere else.” Pro Football Focus graded Campbell 110th out of 200 qualifying offensive linemen in pass blocking this season. He was graded 81st in run blocking. Campbell allowed nine sacks in 2025, the third most among all NFL offensive linemen. Assuming he’ll undergo offseason knee surgery, Campbell should be good to go for the 2026 season.

Campbell said the injury was no excuse for his abysmal play in the postseason, including in the Patriots’ Super Bowl loss to the Seahawks. Campbell was overwhelmed by the Seattle front seven from start to finish, as Drake Maye was pressured on 29 of his 53 drop backs and sacked six times. Campbell will presumably have offseason surgery to fix the injury. Hopefully for the Patriots, Campbell — the fourth overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft — will be better in 2026 than he was during his disastrous finish to the 2025 campaign.

Maye, following his Super Bowl meltdown against the Seahawks, said the right shoulder issue hampered his ability to throw the football against Seattle’s elite secondary. He had been on the Patriots’ injury report for two weeks ahead of the Super Bowl. Maye picked up the shoulder ailment in the Pats’ AFC title game win over the Broncos. He said he did not expect to require surgery on the shoulder. Maye will likely enter 2026 fully healthy.

Hooper’s second season in New England produced the second fewest yards (263) of his 10-year career. The lowest total came in 2023 in Las Vegas. Hooper has a reliable pair of hands for a backup, but has never been a reliable scorer. He still possesses some down-field juice up the seam, but Hooper’s returns will continue to diminish. He is set for free agency in March.

Flying under the radar as always, 31-year-old Henry finished with a career-high 768 yards. His 60 receptions tied for his second most, while his seven scores were his most since 2021. Only Stefon Diggs had more receiving yards on the Pats. Although this is a skill corps that needs to be upgraded, Henry should remain an integral part of it for 2026. He is headed into the final year of his contract, and could be a candidate for a short offseason extension. The TE9 by total PPR points this season, Henry will remain in the TE9-12 mix.

A third-round rookie hype merchant in an offense many were expecting to be better, Williams ended up struggling to get on the field, catching just two passes across his first nine games. He was more involved down the stretch, but still finished the regular campaign with all of 10 grabs. He turned that limited work into more than 20 yards per catch and three touchdowns, but Williams was a strict role player in an offense that has fellow field-stretchers Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte. With both those wideouts likely back for 2026, Williams could have a difficult time commanding a bigger role. He turns 24 in November, making him a lower-upside hold in dynasty leagues.

A third-year sixth-rounder, Douglas’ production fell off even as the Patriots’ offense ascended. His 31 grabs were a new career low by 18. This, as the “target competition” was Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, etc. MVP runner-up Drake Maye likes to throw deep, and Douglas’ game is middle-of-the-field chess play. The pint-sized slot man has managed to stay healthy in back-to-back seasons, no small feat as he enters the final year of his rookie deal. However, a career that once looked like it could turn into a “Wan’Dale Robinson situation” is now little more than a small guy playing a smaller role.