The New England Patriots have added a lot to their linebacker room in the offseason. Robert Spillane and Jack Gibbens are new additions, creating a much stronger room than a year ago. But, there was still one question mark left, which was answered on Monday.
According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the Patriots are planning to match the offer sheet made by the Las Vegas Raiders on linebacker and special teams ace Christian Elliss. It's a two-year deal for Elliss, keeping him in New England through the 2026 season.
Elliss was a restricted free agent, and the Patriots made him a right-of-first-refusal tender worth $3.26 million. This move gave the Patriots the ability to match any offer from a team made on Elliss in free agency.
After he visited the Raiders, Elliss signed an offer sheet, giving the Patriots the chance to bring Elliss back. After deliberation over the weekend, the Patriots matched the offer sheet from the Raiders, officially bringing back Elliss to New England.
Elliss provides high-quality special teams play and strengthens the Patriots linebacker depth. Keeping Elliss will allow for greater flexibility in the 2025 NFL Draft, as linebacker depth would no longer be a major need.
Elliss is 26 years old, and entering his fifth NFL season. He started with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2021, before joining New England during the 2023 season.
In 2024, Elliss saw significant defensive snaps for New England. He had 80 combined tackles, one and a half sacks, and one interception. Elliss played 49 percent of the defensive snaps, and 60 percent of the special teams snaps for New England in 2024.
The Patriots bringing Elliss back for the next two years is an important move. It solidifies the linebacker depth, while brining back a special teams ace. New England is matching the offer sheet from the Raiders, a move seldom seen in the NFL.
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This story was originally published March 24, 2025 at 12:17 PM.