Prosecutors dropped the domestic assault case against Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore, Ted Wayman of WCVB reports.
Barmore, 26, was in court on Monday to be arraigned on a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a family/household member. The hearing ended when the prosecution told the judge the case was “not viable” after receiving new information from the alleged victim.
“It was a delayed complaint and the victim had mixed emotions about whether she wanted to go forward,” Bristol County District Attorney Thomas Quinn said outside the courthouse, via Wayman.
Barmore was accused in August of 2025 of grabbing the phone out of the hand of a woman he was in a 3 1/2-year relationship with and throwing her to the floor when she tried to leave the house. The incident allegedly happened in front of the couple’s 2-year-old child.
Quinn said the victim remains out of state and does not plan to return.
Fullback Reggie Gilliam is switching sides in the AFC East.
According to multiple reports, Gilliam has agreed to sign with the Patriots after spending the last six seasons in Buffalo. It is reportedly a three-year, $12 million deal for Gilliam.
Gilliam played a core special teams role for the Bills in addition to his work as a blocker and occasional receiver. He had 16 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns to go with 28 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in 94 regular season games. He also had three catches and two tackles in 14 playoff outings.
Jack Westover was the primary fullback when the Patriots used one in the 2025 season, but that seems likely to change with Gilliam set to join the roster.
The Chiefs are adding a big man to their defense.
According to multiple reports, Kansas City has agreed to a three-year deal with nose tackle Khyiris Tonga.
The initial reporting indicates Tonga’s contract is worth $21 million with $14 million guaranteed.
Tonga, 29, was originally a Bears seventh-round pick in the 2021 draft. But he’s bounced around a bit, spending time with the Falcons, Vikings, and Cardinals before landing with the Patriots last March.
He appeared in 14 games with eight starts for New England in 2025, recording 24 total tackles with two tackles for loss, two QB hits, and a pair of passes defensed.
Tonga also showed some positional flexibility, playing 14 offensive snaps as a fullback for New England, particularly on plates near the goal line.
With the way Kansas City crafts unique plays near the end zone, Tonga could be a factor offensively for the Chiefs as well.
Kicker Nick Folk is moving to a new team for his 19th NFL season.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Media reports that Folk has agreed to sign with the Falcons when the new league year opens on Wednesday. It is a two-year deal for the 41-year-old kicker.
Folk was 28-of-29 on field goals for the Jets last season and led the league in field goal percentage for the third straight season. He also connected on all 22 of his extra point attempts.
NFL Media also reports that tight end Austin Hooper has agreed to a one-year, $3.25 million deal with the Falcons. Hooper was a 2016 third-round pick in Atlanta and spent four seasons with the team. He spent 2025 with the Patriots and had 21 catches for 263 yards and two touchdowns for the AFC champions.
The Patriots have started free agency by adding an edge rusher.
Multiple reports indicate Dre’Mont Jones is headed to New England after finishing the 2025 season with Baltimore.
Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, Jones’ deal is for three years and worth $39.5 million with $14.5 million in 2026.
Jones, 29, started the season with Tennessee and ended up playing 18 games between the two clubs after being traded for a conditional fifth-round pick during the year.
In nine games with the Titans, he recorded 4.5 sacks with five tackles for loss and nine QB hits. In nine games with Baltimore, he tallied 2.5 sacks with two tackles for loss and 15 QB hits.
A third-round pick in the 2019 draft, Jones has tallied 37.5 sacks with 47 TFLs and 87 QB hits in 108 games for the Broncos, Seahawks, Titans, and Ravens.
