The New England Patriots enter the 2025 NFL season with renewed optimism. The franchise underwent some major changes in the offseason, firing first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and replacing him with former Patriots’ linebacker and Tennessee Titans head coach Mike Vrabel. There’s also hope that their 2024 first-round pick, quarterback Drake Maye, can continue to ascend. Things are pointing in the upward trajectory in Foxborough.
The front office invested heavily on the defensive side of the ball this offseason, bringing in Milton Williams, Robert Spillane, Carlton Davis III, and Harold Landry III, as well as a host of other faces. Those faces, as well as the infrastructure in place, could make the Patriots a top defense in the NFL. One trade idea has the Patriots getting even better, though.
According to Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobelski, the Patriots are one of four teams who should consider making a move for disgruntled Pittsburgh Steelers’ edge rusher T.J. Watt, who reportedly wants to be the highest-paid non-quarterback in the NFL. In the proposed deal, the Patriots would send a 2026 second-round pick, a 2027 third-round pick, and safety Jabrill Peppers for Watt.
May 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to the media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.
May 9, 2025; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel speaks to the media during a press conference at Gillette Stadium.
© Eric Canha-Imagn Images
“For the Patriots, Watt can set the tone and establish a baseline of expectations both on the field and in the locker room,” Sobelski writes. “As quarterback Drake Maye continues to grow into his role, Watt can be the unquestioned leader of these Patriots.”
Watt still has one year remaining on his current deal, but with training camp around the corner, the four-time First-Team All-Pro and 2021 Defensive Player of the Year wants a raise that keeps him in line with the top of the market earners at the edge rusher position.
“Head coach Mike Vrabel has always been a defensive guy first. Watt playing alongside Christian Barmore and free-agent acquisitions Milton Williams and Harold Landry III can get New England back to what once made the team successful in the early 2000s by playing a hardnosed brand of football.” Sobelski added.
Watt had something of a down year in 2024, but still earned Second-Team All-Pro honors. He played in all 17 regular-season games for the Steelers, generating 11.5 sacks, his lowest tally in a full season since his rookie year, while adding 19 tackles for loss and 27 quarterback hits. Watt is heading into his age-31 season, and a decline may be on the horizon, but he’d still be a leader in the locker room and improve a defense on the rise.