Coming off a Super Bowl appearance, the New England Patriots have plenty of important decisions to make if they want to stay there. The start of free agency is an important moment for the Patriots to move the needle, and that includes a key decision to bring back edge rusher K’Lavon Chaisson.
The Patriots got Chaisson at a discount on a one-year, $3 million contract last offseason and he rewarded their faith in him with career-highs in sacks (7.5) and quarterback pressures (54), according to Pro Football Focus. But with his projected market value climbing to $9 million per season, per Spotrac, it’s unknown how far they’re willing to go when the NFL’s legal tampering window opens on Monday.
This past weekend may have put Chaisson a little higher on the list. Maxx Crosby was taken off the board after a reported trade to the Baltimore Ravens and Khalil Mack made the pool a little more shallow when he agreed on a one-year, $18 million deal to return to the Los Angeles Chargers.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler also reported that the Chicago Bears, Dallas Cowboys, and Philadelphia Eagles could be among the teams looking for pass-rushing help this week, which could push the Patriots to bring Chaisson back for 2026 and beyond.
Patriots’ Chaisson Risk is Decreasing with Free Agency Approaching
There is definitely some “buyer beware” when it comes to Chaisson. Before coming to New England, the LSU product was considered a bust after being selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 20th overall pick in the 2020 draft. After recording just five sacks in four years with the Jaguars, Chaisson took a step in the right direction as a rotational pass-rusher with the Las Vegas Raiders, recording five sacks and 29 pressures in 15 games.
While the traditional stats suggest Chaisson found his way in New England, there were still areas to improve upon. PFF’s overall grade of 60.4 was actually worse than the 63.0 grade Chaisson posted with the Raiders in 2024, and he has severe issues as a tackler, with his 36.4 percent missed tackle rate, the highest among qualifying edge rushers last season.
Still, Chaisson’s market value could be a bargain compared to what the rest of the league is doing. The Ravens coughed up two first-round picks to pry Crosby from the Raiders and may have to give him a contract extension with no guaranteed money due beyond the 2026 season. Mack’s payday was also in line with his market value, but could easily be considered high for a player who had just 5.5 sacks last season.
Top edge rusher Trey Hendrickson is projected to make $25.4 million annually on the open market, per Spotrac, and there are several others expected to net over $10 million annually, including Odafe Oweh ($19.3 million), Kwity Paye ($17.8 million), and Jaelan Phillips ($17.3 million). Even players like Joey Bosa ($13.7 million) and Boye Mafe ($12.2 million) could have their price tags shoot up if the supply doesn’t meet the demand.
There’s also the case that bringing in a new edge rusher would also require time to get them up to speed in Mike Vrabel’s system, which wouldn’t be the case if they brought back Chaisson. At 26 years old, it may be worth it to manufacture a contract that benefits the Patriots while also sanding out the edges in Chaisson’s game to help him take an even bigger jump in 2026.
This should make Chaisson one of the Patriots’ top priorities and could have him coming back to New England in free agency.