The brilliant season of the New England Patriots ended in heartbreak at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara. The Patriots more than met their match as they were overpowered and outschemed by the Seattle Seahawks in a 29-13 defeat. The Patriots had high hopes before the game based on their remarkable 14-3 regular season and strong defensive showing in playoff victories over the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Denver Broncos. However, the protection of Drake Maye broke down early against the Seahawks and Mike Vrabel's coach staff had no answers.
Reality has already hit the Patriots locker room. The team was the beneficiary of a fourth-place schedule this season and many observers characterized the team's success as “lucky.” That's almost certainly an overstatement, but there is some truth to the assessment. Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte was realistic after the game, as he knows that nothing is guaranteed.
“Just because we got here this year doesn’t mean we’ll get here next year,” Boutte said, per the Boston Globe. “It’s hard to get here. If it were easy, everybody would do it. At the end, there’s a loser every year. Sadly, that was us.”
Patriots fans should take heart that the seeds for another strong run have been planted. Drake Maye has a long way to go to get close to the level of Tom Brady, but the second-year quarterback is clearly on the rise in his career. Vrabel won multiple Super Bowls during his playing career with the Patriots and has learned a lot as an award-winning NFL head coach, but that doesn't mean he will gain Belichick-like status.
The memorable 2025 season for the Patriots is over and there is very little time for self-congratulations in the NFL. The Patriots have time to take a deep breath, reassess where they stand and start planning for the 2026 season. They have several free agents in 2026 and additional players that will reach that status in 2027.
One of those players is dynamic pass rushing linebacker K'Lavon Chaisson. They must resign him and at least 2 others during the offseason.
LB K'Lavon Chaisson
While the growth of Maye was the story that generated the most headlines during the season, the reason the Patriots were able to go from worst to first in the AFC East was largely due to the play of the defense.
Chaisson was a brilliant competitor throughout the regular season and then he turned it up a couple of notches during the postseason.
Chaisson's stature grew throughout the year. He had 31 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 2 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery.
He was as important as any player on the team in the playoffs. Chaisson had 12 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 1 pass defensed and 1 forced fumble.
Those numbers speak loudly, and a look at Chaisson's contract status makes him the team's top priority in the offseason. He signed a one-year contract for $3 million last season, and he became a star in 2025. He was one of the greatest defensive assets on the team and the Patriots can't allow him to leave. They need to get him under contract for the upcoming 2026 season and beyond.
Player personnel boss Eliot Wolf cannot allow one of the other 31 teams find a way to spirit Chaisson away. He should be a core member of the Patriots defense for at least the next four seasons.
Chaisson was a first-round draft choice of the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, but he didn't start to make key contributions until he was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024. The Patriots became the true beneficiaries as he came into his own this season.
DT Khyiris Tonga
Tonga will also be a free agent in 2026. He was a fixture in the middle of the defensive line, and while he performed well in the regular season, he was even better in the four-game run of the postseason.
He had 24 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 2 passes defensed during the 14 games he played in 2025. Tonga had 7 tackles, 1.0 sack and 2 tackles for loss in the postseason.
Tonga is not a glamorous player as his strength is plugging the middle of the defensive line and holding his ground. The Patriots paid him $1.18 million last season and that was money that was clearly well spent. There is no doubt that the Patriots need to bring him back in 2026.
S Jaylinn Hawkins
Hawkins is a player who has been something of a late bloomer in his career. The 2025 season was Hawkins' sixth NFL season and his second with the Patriots. He had been drafted in the 4th round by the Atlanta Falcons in 2020 and he spent 3-plus season with the Dirty Birds before he was traded to the Chargers in 2023.
He moved on to the Patriots in 2024 and he had 48 tackles and 1 pass defensed. However, he was much better this season with 71 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 5 quarterback hits, 1.5 sacks, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery.
He had a cap hit of $1.8 million last season, and he needs to return to New England in 2026.
