Coming off consecutive 4-win seasons, Patriots owner Robert Kraft was left with a decision to make. Bill Belichick’s appointed successor, Jerod Mayo, had struggled mightily in his first year as head coach of the franchise, which had caused many to question his role as the leader of the team. Ultimately, his fate was sealed by a disastrous Week 18, in which the Patriots beat the Bills in a meaningless game that ended up costing New England the first overall pick in the upcoming draft.
Kraft wasted no time, firing Mayo just 90 minutes after the game had ended. From that point, it was clear who was going to be the next head coach of the New England Patriots. Mike Vrabel, a former Super Bowl-winning linebacker for New England, was fired by the Titans after the 2023 season, and he took a year off from coaching in 2024, leaving him as the top candidate in the 2024 coaching cycle. Vrabel was named head coach 8 days after Mayo was fired, jump-starting one of the quickest turn-arounds in NFL history.
Vrabel’s impact was immediately felt around the organization. Throughout the offseason, the message from Vrabel and de facto GM Eliot Wolf was clear: improve the roster as much as possible. That they did, addressing key holes throughout the lineup as efficiently as possible, the biggest ones being the Offensive Line, Wide Receiver, Linebacker, Defensive Line, and Cornerback.
In free agency, the Patriots were quick to spend money, signing Wide Receiver Stefon Diggs, Linebacker Harold Landry III, Linebacker Robert Spilane, Cornerback Carlton Davis, Offensive Tackle Morgan Moses, Defensive Tackle Milton Williams, Wide Receiver Mack Hollins, and Defensive End K’Lavon Chaisson, who all played key roles on both sides of the ball for Mike Vrabel’s side in 2025.
“Stefon Diggs has been a great addition to the team both on and off the field,” said HHS senior and Patriots season ticket holder Ryan Laronde. “He’s taken a lot of pressure off of the receiver room, and his leadership has gone to the next level.”
In the draft, Vrabel and Wolf selected Offensive Tackle Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick, and then Running Back TreVeyon Henderson early in the second round. Those two rookies played beyond their expectations in 2025, and are expected to be large contributors to the team for a long time in the future.
Even with all of the additions, the biggest question of the 2025 Patriots came from within. Despite showing flashes in his rookie season, many still were not sure if Quarterback Drake Maye was going to be the face of the franchise going forward. Maye quickly answered those questions in 2025, putting up the best numbers New England has seen from a QB since Tom Brady. He could potentially win MVP if the voting goes his way next week.
“I think Drake Maye should win MVP,” said Brendan McCarthy. “He’s shown he has all of the tools, and The Patriots simply would not be where they are right now without him playing like a superstar.”
Under the leadership of Vrabel and Maye, the Patriots went 14-3 in 2025 while going undefeated on the road, and now have the opportunity to win a Super Bowl in Vrabel’s first year at the helm. With those two doing what they have been doing, the Patriots will strike fear into the hearts of their opponents again, just as they did during the era of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick.
