Am I overreacting a little bit here? Maybe. But after the Boston Celtics' awful Jaylen Brown trade (which, I firmly believed closed their championship window), it's starting to feel like the New England Patriots are back to being Boston's top team once again.
Even though all the other teams had their share of titles and dominance in the 21st century, the Patriots were at the top of the top for the longest time. Their sustained excellence for two decades pretty much turned Boston into a football city. And as things look right now, it seems we have turned the clock back a little bit.
The Patriots are Boston's best sports team right now
The Patriots are fresh off their first Super Bowl appearance since 2019, have an elite defense, a young star quarterback in Drake Maye, and a legitimately good receiving corps. They are probably already the best team in the New England area, and they may have the brightest future, too.
Let's go down the list:
The Celtics aren't good enough to compete for a championship next season. And the truth is, they already weren't good enough even before they swapped Brown for Paul George (in 2026, no less). The rest of the East is already on its way up, while the Celtics' short- and long-term outlooks are murky.
(Right now, the New York Knicks are the reigning champs, the Toronto Raptors are a title contender with Kawhi Leonard back in the mix, the Cleveland Cavaliers (who were just in the conference finals) might reunite with LeBron James, the Miami Heat have Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Detroit Pistons were just the No. 1 seed, and, obviously, the Philadelphia 76ers have Jaylen Brown now.)
The Boston Red Sox are teetering on the line between being buyers and sellers at the trade deadline this year, and they are leaving a lot to be desired. They are currently 37-48, they've made the playoffs just twice this decade, and their once-bright future (which was supposed to be led by Roman Anthony, Marcelo Mayer, and Kristian Campbell) is giving fans little hope.
And the Boston Bruins are fine (their 100 points last season were fifth-best in the Eastern Conference), but it's tough to imagine them seriously competing for a Stanley Cup next season (even after the acquisition of JJ Peterka).
The Patriots can make it back to the Super Bowl next season
For the first time in a long time, there's genuine excitement about the Patriots next season.
There are reasons to be excited about what Maye can do after an MVP-caliber season. There are reasons to be excited about what A.J. Brown can do in his first season in New England. There are reasons to be excited about their draft picks and their young defense.
The Patriots aren't just legit again. They're the best bet to bring another championship to Boston. Because, as it stands, I wouldn't bank on any of the other teams making that happen anytime soon.
Add us as a preferred source on Google