New England Patriots News

Home

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) runs against Seattle Seahawks safety Nick Emmanwori (3) during the first quarter in Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Patriots Offseason Checklist: What's Next?

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Feb 10, 2026 8:00 AM ET

The 2025 season, as magical as it was, is now over for the New England Patriots. Their NFL-record sixth Super Bowl loss came at the hands of a dominant Seattle Seahawks defense, and now it's onto 2026 for the rest of the league.

So what's next?

Here's a look at some important dates on the upcoming offseason calendar for the Patriots, along with some team-centric notes about what to expect around each of these timeframes.

Feb. 17 - March 3: Franchise/Transition Tag Period

Here, the Patriots are able to lock up any pending free agents with a predetermined salary. It is essentially a one-year tender offer where teams can sign a player to keep them around to either negotiate on a contract longer or to just hold their rights for that season.

Historically, the Patriots have not used these tags often. In March 2024, they placed the transition tag on safety Kyle Dugger (one-year contract worth $13.185 million), just the second time in franchise history they used that tag. The last time the franchise tag was placed on a Patriots player was when offensive guard Joe Thuney was tagged in 2020 for $14.78 million.

Feb. 23 - March 2: NFL Scouting Combine

All 32 teams will travel to Indianapolis to convene to watch the top draft prospects this year. General managers and head coaches will speak to the media (last year, Eliot Wolf and Mike Vrabel both had press conferences), and teams can begin to narrow down their big boards for the 2026 NFL Draft.

The Patriots currently hold the 31st and 63rd overall picks.

March 9-11: Legal Tampering Period

Free agency might officially begin after this period ends, but this is where it begins. This period allows teams to begin discussing with free agents on potential contracts. The Patriots don't have a lot of pending free agents hitting the market, but this timeframe will be a golden opportunity to hammer out potential contracts for Jaylinn Hawkins, Austin Hooper, Khyiris Tonga and K'Lavon Chaisson.

March 12: Free Agency Begins

Some contracts might not have been finalized during the legal tampering period, so this is where the meat of these discussions takes place. Any unsigned free agents will have their contracts officially expire, and they're now able to talk with any team. For the Patriots, anyone on the block who may have been holding out with their old teams is now fair game.

If the Patriots want to add to their roster, Last year, they added Carlton Davis, Stefon Diggs, Harold Landry Milton Williams, Joshua Dobbs and Tonga in free agency.

March 29 - April 1: Annual NFL League Meetings

These meetings are where major rule changes and updates are hammered out for the upcoming season. Will there be a tush push change? What about any new guidelines around officiating? This is where these decisions will be made.

Vrabel and Wolf usually speak to the media during this time, and sometimes big Patriots news is shared (last year, it was announced that Bill Parcells was being inducted into the team's Hall of Fame).

April 17: Deadline For Restricted Free Agent Offers

The Patriots have a couple of restricted/exclusive rights free agents hitting the market. This date is the final day that these players are able to receive contract offers/tenders -- meaning that they're able to sign elsewhere, but the Patriots would be able to match any contract offers they may get on the open market.

In 2025, Christian Elliss was tagged, signed by the Raiders and later re-signed by the Patriots. Some of New England's pending RFAs are quarterback Tommy DeVito, linebacker Jack Gibbens, cornerback Alex Austin, and offensive tackle Yasir Durant and defensive tackle Jaquelin Roy -- both of whom are on IR.

April 20: Offseason Workout Program Begins

For teams with a new head coach, these offseason programs are able to begin on April 6. Barring a change with Vrabel at head coach, this is the earliest the Patriots can return to the facility for their 2026 workouts.

April 23-25: NFL Draft

Here is where the meat of next year's Patriots will be added. The defending AFC champions currently have 11 picks in the draft -- four of which are in the sixth round. Last year, Will Campbell, TreVeyon Henderson, Craig Woodson and Andy Borregales all contributed as rookies. If the Patriots want to return to the Super Bowl, they'll have plenty of opportunities to find new, young talent.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: