It’s a wonderful time to be a New England Patriots fan, as their turnaround from a rebuilding team to Super Bowl contenders has been fascinating to watch this season. As fans eagerly wait for the start of the playoffs, it’s never too early to look ahead at the 2026 offseason, where both de facto general manager Eliot Wolf and head coach Mike Vrabel must make some difficult decisions to remain championship contenders.
While the team’s cornerstone players have cemented their place on the roster, several players who have displayed the ability to provide quality production have seen their performance affected by injuries, scheme changes, or limited playing time. Although the Patriots will look to make changes in the offseason, they must give these three players a second chance to prove they can have a meaningful impact on the team.
1. WR DeMario Douglas
In the last two seasons, DeMario Douglas, alongside Hunter Henry, has been the top receiving option for the Patriots. Even with the addition of Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins, Patriots fans were confident that Douglas would remain one of the top receiving options.
However, Douglas’ production has significantly dropped this season, posting career lows in receptions (29) and receiving yards (418). With offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels giving the majority of the slot receiver reps to Diggs, Douglas has been phased out of the offense. In the last three weeks, Douglas has logged just 32 offensive snaps, which is the lowest three-game total of his career.
Even though his numbers have dipped, he remains an impactful piece to the offense. Douglas’ skillset gives the Patriots’ offense an explosive playmaker who can turn a modest gain into a touchdown. Douglas’ 14.4 yards per reception and 9.7 yards per target are both career-highs and have played a pivotal part in the Patriots’ downfield attack.
While Douglas may not be the top option he once was, it doesn’t mean the team should move on from him. Since Douglas has one more year left on his rookie contract, the Patriots should give him another opportunity to prove he can be a long-term contributor to the offense.
2. LB Marte Mapu
Entering this season, Marte Mapu was re-classified to a linebacker after splitting the last two seasons between safety and linebacker. Despite the position change, the former 2023 third-round selection has appeared in just 109 defensive snaps through 16 games, with head coach Mike Vrabel giving a majority of the snaps to Robert Spillane, Christian Elliss, and Jack Gibbens.
Since the Patriots are crowded with linebacker depth, Mapu has been forced to make the most out of his limited snaps, and he’s done just that, recording 23 total tackles, five pass deflections, and one interception. Mapu has also been a key contributor to the special teams, posting six tackles, earning a 57.8 special teams grade per Pro Football Focus.
While he’s yet to excel as the hybrid player fans anticipated him to be, he’s displayed the potential of becoming a dependable player. Still only 26 years old, and with one more year on his contract, the Patriots shouldn’t give up on Mapu just yet.
Mapu has shown promise as a blitzer, earning an 81.2 pass rush grade in 2024 that ranked 7th out of 97 linebackers, while also being solid in coverage. With Gibbens being a free agent after this season and depth being vital to sustain success, the Patriots must give Mapu another opportunity to shine if they’re unable to re-sign Gibbens.
Another year in the scheme would put Mapu in a strong position to step in and flourish.
3. OLB Anfernee Jennings
It’s been a rough year for Anfernee Jennings. Going from a starter and key member of the defense to a rotational player with trade rumors constantly swirling around you isn’t ideal for any player. Despite this, Jennings has put his head down and has done whatever the Patriots have asked of him.
He’s slowly worked his way up to the backup edge rusher behind Harold Landry III, posting 22 total tackles and two sacks. With Landry sidelined last week, Jennings was tasked with being his replacement, delivering four total tackles while recording his second-highest overall grade (82.1) of the season.
Although Jennings isn’t head coach Mike Vrabel’s ideal edge rusher and is better known as a run defender, he’s shown growth as a pass rusher, recording 12 pressures across 241 defensive snaps. Just like Mapu, Jennings has also been tasked with special teams duty and has done a fine job on the unit, posting six tackles and earning a 63.6 special teams grade.
For the Patriots, they must keep Jennings out of trade talks this season and stick with him another year. With K’Lavon Chaisson likely to command a long-term contract in the offseason, it would be in the Patriots' best interest to stick with Jennings just in case they aren’t able to re-sign Chaisson.