DeMario Douglas is in the midst of a contract year with the New England Patriots, and there is no better time for him to prove that he deserves a new deal than right now.
New England's star wide receiver, A.J. Brown, is set to miss at least the next month due to a high-ankle sprain he sustained in the season opener. And with Romeo Doubs being a complete negative factor in his Patriots debut, it's up to players like Douglas, Mack Hollins, Kyle Williams, and Hunter Henry to step up.
Obviously, none of them are going to be a one-for-one replacement for the Mississippi native, who is one of the best deep threats in the game, but they each need to take it up another level to collectively keep the Patriots' offense afloat. And with Drake Maye looking to bounce back from a horrific Week 1 performance, it would be wise for him to rely on targets he is already familiar with, such as Douglas.
DeMario Douglas already has familiarity in New England
Outside of Henry, Douglas has spent the most time in New England of all of the team's receivers/tight ends. The Jacksonville native was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2023 and has been with the team ever since.
He has been around for Maye's entire NFL career to this point, and he is expected to be a big part of the team's offensive game plan (he led the team with seven targets in Week 1 - though he only recorded 20 yards on five receptions).
Douglas' stats were technically down last year (31 receptions on 41 targets, 447 receiving yards, and three touchdowns), but his snap count was also cut drastically (26% from 55% in 2023 and 62% in 2025). He provides a lot of value on the field because of his versatility and chemistry with Maye, and fans should expect his number to be called a lot more in the midst of Brown's absence.
DeMario Douglas has long-term appeal to the Patriots
On top of his familiarity with the team, the system, and Maye, Douglas is also just 25 years old and has already proven he can be successful. He will never become New England's top wide receiver, and he is at his best as a complementary piece, but there's a lot to like about what he brings to the table.
Douglas is shifty, can line up in the slot and on the outside, is an underrated deep threat, and has even been used in the running game on end-arounds. He is a fantastic weapon for Josh McDaniels to utilize in his offense.
Whether the Patriots opt to keep Douglas around past this season or not remains to be seen, but either way, he has a great opportunity ahead of him to take what's his and send a huge message to the team.
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