Patriots Trade for Terry McLaurin
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Patriots Trade for Terry McLaurin
The New England Patriots are set to hire interim defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr as their full-time defensive coordinator. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported this on Tuesday evening.
Kuhr served this past season for New England as interim defensive coordinator. This was officially announced in September, with Terrell Williams battling cancer. He joined the Patriots coaching staff in January 2025, reuniting with Mike Vrabel. He worked with Vrabel before, having been a defensive assistant as well as outside linebackers coach. Kuhr spent multiple seasons with the Tennessee Titans, from 2018 to 2023.
Kuhr Strengthened Patriots Defense In 2025
He was able to make an impact on the Patriots’ defense in his first season as defensive coordinator. The Patriots were fourth-best in the NFL in scoring defense. They allowed 18.8 points per game. They were eighth-best in total yards allowed with 295 yards per game. The team was stingy when it came to pass defense, as they allowed 189 yards per game. They also managed to stop the run at a high level, allowing 100.9 yards per contest. This was sixth-best in the league.
The Patriots also excelled in other areas besides points and yards. They were strong defensively in third-down defense, as they had the 10th-best conversion rate allowed.
The Patriots did have some struggles last season on the defensive side of the ball. They had trouble getting to the quarterback at times, as they ranked 17th in the league in total sacks with 35 on the year. That being said, they were still able to get to the quarterback.
With that being said, the Patriots were able to get past-rushing contributions from several players on the roster. Harold Landry III had 8.5 sacks. K’Lavon Chiasson had 7.5 sacks. Defensive tackle Milton Williams had 3.5 sacks on the year, and helped clog up the middle defensively in running situations.
Sources: Patriots linebackers coach Zak Kuhr, who was the interim defensive coordinator last season, is having the interim title pulled and now becoming the full-time defensive coordinator.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 17, 2026
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Patriots Making Coaching Moves on Defense
This move is in line with others that have been happening around the organization. It was announced earlier last week that defensive coordinator Terrell Williams would be moved to another role in the organization. This will be interesting to watch unfold. Kuhr’s success, in combination with Williams’ aggressiveness and desire to play physical, could be a solid combination for a Vrabel-coached team.
This could be an important move for the Patriots. For one, it provides continuity to the organization defensively. The Patriots were still able to play at a high level even without Williams being able to serve his expected role of defensive coordinator. Kuhr was able to adjust on the fly, and we saw him and his defensive unit grow throughout the course of the season. Now, he will be able to establish his defensive system further and give players a chance to build off what they accomplished last year.
Providing Continuity for New England Patriots
If anything, this is a move that makes sense for the organization. This provides further continuity. On top of this, it gives Kuhr another chance to be able to prove himself, this time with the official title of defensive coordinator. The Patriots were able to produce high-level results last season, and now they could have an opportunity to do it again.