New England Patriots: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

Josh McDaniels Says Patriots' Slow Start is 'Normal' — And He's Right

Josh McDaniels walked up to the podium for his weekly media availability Thursday afternoon and immediately fielded a question about the offense's slow start.

Features

The Morning Bark

The Quiz of the Day

'We Invite It': Christian Gonzalez, Patriots DBs Ready for Jaguars' Balanced Passing Attack

Week 3 against Jacksonville will present a challenge the 2026 Patriots have yet to see. In the first two weeks, New England’s defense has seen two teams, the Seahawks and Steelers, who have alpha receivers in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and DK Metcalf, respectively.

Drake Maye News / Athlon Sports / September 24

Determined Drake Maye Attacking His Recent Issues Head-on for Patriots

The excuses continue to mount for Drake Maye’s 63.1 passer rating through two games. There are the strong defenses he’s faced, his recurring shoulder woes, the new teammates and the lack of cohesion, the need to play in the preseason … You name it, he’s been excused by it.

New England Patriots News / Yardbarker / September 24

Adam Schefter shares harsh A.J. Brown injury update for Pats fans

Adam Schefter shares harsh A.J. Brown injury update for Patriots fans

Brown suffered a high ankle sprain with no fracture during the club's 13-10 campaign-opening loss at the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 9.

Patriots players share strong reactions to criticisms of Drake Maye

'Scared' Drake Maye singled out amid Patriots' offensive struggles

The '2025 NFL passing-TD leaders' quiz

Green Bay Packers News / Yardbarker Quizzes

The '4K-yard, 30-TD NFL seasons' quiz

How many of the NFL quarterbacks to rack up at least 4,000-passing-yards and toss at least 30 touchdowns in the same season can you name in six minutes?

Trevor Lawrence News / New England Patriots on SI / September 24

Patriots Must Slow Down 'Comfortable' Trevor Lawrence This Week

Trevor Lawrence has really blossomed into a true NFL quarterback these last few seasons, and the New England Patriots have taken notice. Drake Maye, who told reporters Wednesday that he met Lawrence — now the Jacksonville Jaguars gunslinger — on a recruiting trip back to Clemson.

NFL News / Yardbarker

Ranking the NFL's backup quarterbacks for the 2026 season

A few trades have rearranged the NFL's backup quarterback ranks, but the dust has mostly settled. From a mix of recent first-round disappointments, aging vets, and young project types, here is how the league's QB2 ranks look for the 2026 season.

New England Patriots News / Yardbarker / September 24

Patriots players share strong reactions to criticisms of Maye

Patriots players share strong reactions to criticisms of Drake Maye

The struggles of Maye over the first two weeks of the ongoing season have made for a much-discussed storyline hovering over the organization in the early days of the fall months.

'Scared' Drake Maye singled out amid Patriots' offensive struggles

The '2025 NFL passing-TD leaders' quiz

Chandler Brayboy News / New England Patriots on SI / September 24

Young Patriots WR Brings Nursing, Native American Roots to New England

Who is Chandler Brayboy? On the surface, he's the 25-year-old wide receiver that the New England Patriots just signed to their practice squad. He's one of three receivers currently on the practice squad, and one of eight suiting up for practices ahead of Week 3.

Drake Maye News / NFL on ClutchPoints / September 24

Drake Maye reveals Patriots’ focus to get out of offensive rut

Two weeks into the season, the New England Patriots are still searching for answers on offense. What was supposed to be an explosive start coming off an appearance in the Super Bowl has instead become an early-season struggle to find consistency.

Mack Hollins News / HITC / September 24

Analyst says the Patriots ‘should be embarrassed’ by latest news on Mack Hollins contract talks

Greg Bedard has criticised the New England Patriots over their handling of Mack Hollins’ contract, saying the team “should be embarrassed” after changing the receiver’s incentives before the season.

New England Patriots News / NFL on ClutchPoints / September 24

Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez highlights teams’ respect for Drake Maye amid 1-1 start

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez knows a true leader when he sees one. Entering his second season, quarterback Drake Maye is earning the trust of the entire locker room as the franchise builds momentum following a solid 1-1 start to the 2026 campaign.

New England Patriots News / HITC / September 24

Mike Vrabel makes blunt ‘dog’ admission on Patriots playcalling amid Drake Maye concerns

Mike Vrabel has admitted that some New England Patriots play calls have been “dog ****” as questions continue to grow around the offence and quarterback Drake Maye.

NFL News / Yardbarker

25 NFL players who could retire after the 2026 season

NFL stars can't play forever, and retirement is coming sooner than later for some of the league's top players. These 25 players could call it quits following the 2026 season.

New England Patriots News / Pro Football Rumors / September 23

Patriots Injury Rumors: Lomu, Schooler, Hollins

With news that Patriots starting right guard Michael Onwenu is set for an extended absence after breaking his right ankle, New England could get creative in order to fill the hole.

New England Patriots News / Athlon Sports / September 23

Patriots' Edge Depth Already Being Stretched to Near Dangerous Levels: Is Help on Way?

The injury report and the waiver wire can tell an awful lot about a National Football League team. Wednesday, each told a story of preparation and precaution for the New England Patriots at the edge and linebacker position.

Click here to get Yardbarker's Quiz of the Day emailed to you!

The '4K-yard, 30-TD NFL seasons' quiz

The 'NFL 100-touchdown club' quiz

The 'Most 300-yard, 3-TD NFL games' quiz

The 'NFL all-time passing leaders' quiz

Drake Maye News / New England Patriots on SI / September 23

4 Things Patriots QB Drake Maye is Working On Ahead of Jaguars Matchup

Drake Maye will be the first to tell you that he hasn't played up to his standards so far in 2026. The New England Patriots quarterback — with four interceptions and just one passing touchdown to his name through two weeks — has missed with the football at times and struggled with touch on balls past the sticks.

New England Patriots News / Athlon Sports / September 23

Rhamondre Stevenson vs. TreVeyon Henderson: Mike Vrabel Clarifies the Patriots' Backfield Split

When Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled during New England‘s 20-3 win over Pittsburgh, it raised questions about the running back playing time distribution. With the uptick in touches, TreVeyon Henderson made the most of his opportunities with a team-high 76 yards, including a 39-yard touchdown.

NFL News / Athlon Sports / September 23

Finally a Little Positive Patriots Injury News as Prep for Jacksonville Begins

For a team in desperate need of positive injury news, the New England Patriots got some on Wednesday as preparations for Sunday’s battle at Jacksonville began.

New England Patriots News / Stadium Rant / September 23

Patriots Offense: 2 Crucial Changes That Could Ignite A Spark

The New England Patriots offense has faced plenty of criticism early in the season. While the unit showed improvement in its 20-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, it hasn’t shown the same big-play ability that was displayed in 2025.

Dell Pettus News / NFLTradeRumors.co / September 23

Patriots Placing S Dell Pettus On IR, Among Two Roster Moves

Patriots HC Mike Vrabel announced that they plan to place S Dell Pettus on injured reserve Wednesday, per Chad Graff. Vrabel added that they are signing OLB Jose Ramirez from the practice squad to the active roster, per Mike Reiss. Pettus, 25, originally signed with the Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2024 out of Troy.

NFL News / Athlon Sports / September 23

Christian Gonzalez's Battle with DK Metcalf Proves He's Ready for WR1 Shadow Duty

True shutdown cornerbacks are a rare luxury in today’s NFL. Gone are the days of Darrelle Revis and Patrick Peterson, when coordinators would stick their best on the opposing team’s best receiver.

New England Patriots News / Stadium Rant / September 23

Patriots See Five Players Hurt In Week Two

This past Sunday, September 20, the New England Patriots saw a turnaround they and the fans were hoping for after the opening-week loss against the Seahawks.

New England Patriots News / Yardbarker / September 23

'Scared' Drake Maye singled out amid Pats' offensive struggles

'Scared' Drake Maye singled out amid Patriots' offensive struggles

Just months after finishing one vote shy of his first career MVP, he's looked like a shell of himself through two weeks.

Patriots' Mike Vrabel addresses if Drake Maye is dealing with confidence issues amid struggles

Vikings reportedly 'pushed hard' to get Drake Maye in 2024 NFL Draft

The 'Winning NFL playoff debuts' quiz

Mike Vrabel News / PatsFans.com / September 22

'I Blew It': Vrabel Takes Blame for Patriots’ Back-to-Back Timeouts Sunday vs Steelers

Head coach Mike Vrabel did not mince words when asked about the back-to-back timeouts from Sunday’s game during his Monday press conference. The miscue

New England Patriots News / A to Z Sports / September 21

One overlooked move from this summer could end up bailing out the New England Patriots amid latest injury blow

The New England Patriots got some brutal news on Sunday — but things could have been much, much worse if not for an overlooked move this summer. The New England Patriots have made it 2 for 2 in games played this season with a gut-punch injury to someone on the offensive side of the football.

Michael Onwenu News / Pro Football Rumors / September 20

Pats G Michael Onwenu Feared To Have Season-Ending Leg Injury

The Patriots won a 20-3 blowout over the Steelers on Sunday, but they may have lost starting right guard Michael Onwenu for the long haul. Onwenu is feared to have suffered a season-ending leg injury, insider Jordan Schultz reports.

Mack Hollins News / NFLTradeRumors.co / September 20

Patriots WR Mack Hollins Reworked Incentives To Avoid Being Released

Patriots WR Mack Hollins reworked his incentives before the season to make them harder to reach and to avoid being released by the Patriots, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald. “Nobody wants to change anything, but that’s sometimes what happens,” Hollins said.

NFL News / Yardbarker / September 17