The New England Patriots are on the precipice of the seventh Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
But to steal one from head coach Mike Vrabel, there are no naps for the two teams who earn the right to play in February, no matter what color confetti falls inside Levi’s Stadium on Sunday night.
There won’t be much time for a week in Cancun for Vrabel after Super Bowl LX. At the conclusion of the game, only 31 days will separate the Patriots’ final game from the start of the new league year.
New England’s personnel department has obviously been working behind the scenes on free agency and the draft, but Vrabel made significant changes to the roster last offseason, and that work figures to continue as soon as 2026 officially arrives.
The Patriots have a core group forming, with QB Drake Maye, CB Christian Gonzalez, LT Will Campbell, CB Marcus Jones, and DT Milton Williams at the center of it. But there are some obvious players on the roster, like running back Antonio Gibson and edge Anfernee Jennings, who could be packing up and leaving Foxboro next week.
But what about the starters? Who could be the key players who helped make this year’s Super Bowl run possible, could be playing their final game in the all-white “Warriors” jerseys?
Here are three players who, due to age, contract or some other circumstance, could take their final bow in Santa Clara (or during a championship parade back in Boston) in the coming days.
3 Patriots starters who might be playing their final game in Super Bowl LX
TE Hunter Henry
This is a tough one. Henry’s not only a great Patriot but also a great leader whose presence in the locker room is vital for Maye, who doesn’t turn 24 until August.
But here’s the elephant in the room: The Patriots need to get tougher at the tight end position, and could look to do just that this offseason. They’ve struggled to run the football this year, in part, because Henry and Austin Hooper have struggled at the point of attack. Pro Football Focus slapped Henry with a 49.8 run-blocking grade this year, which ranks 24th on the team.
PFF grades should hardly be a deciding factor for anything, and Henry did post a career-high 768 receiving yards to go with seven touchdowns during the regular season. But he’s entering a contract year in 2026, and he’d only cost the team $2.6 million as an outright release.
New England will likely have to address Henry’s contract in some fashion, with an extension on the table. Is he guaranteed to be back entering his age-32 season? Definitely not.
WR Stefon Diggs
The Patriots took the gamble on Diggs that other NFL teams wouldn’t this year, and he’s been a clear value-add. Simply put, New England needed Diggs’ voice as much as his skills as a wide receiver this season. With Maye still coming into his own as a leader, it’s not a stretch to say that this 2025 run doesn’t happen for New England if they don’t sign Diggs back at the end of March.
But there are multiple concerns with Diggs entering 2026, starting with his age and usage. While he’s been the Patriots’ most efficient wide receiver this season, he’s been their No. 3 in terms of offensive snaps. Both Kayshon Boutte and Mack Hollins have averaged over 43 offensive snaps per game; Diggs was a distant third at 35.2.
His contract is also extremely cuttable. Diggs has two years remaining, but only $6 million of his future salary is guaranteed. The Patriots front-loaded his guaranteed money in the form of a 2025 signing bonus, likely as insurance (a good call, too, given Diggs’ off-the-field issues).
New England owes Diggs’ $22.5 million cash in each of the next two seasons, but can release him for a dead salary-cap hit of just $8 million. If he stays with the Patriots in 2026, he’ll need new guarantees in the form of an extension (a move that would create some immediate salary cap space).
But entering his age-33 season, it’s possible Diggs’ run in Foxboro is a one-and-done.
DT Christian Barmore
Like Diggs, who faces strangulation and assault charges on a female personal chef, Barmore faces a misdemeanor charge of assault and battery on a household/family member.
Both of those legal situations will play out following the Super Bowl, and while Vrabel publicly stood behind both players during a press conference around New Year’s Eve, none of this is a good look for his program. Barmore was also benched for the first quarter in Week 8 by Vrabel for disciplinary reasons.
Barmore responded by forming an elite interior duo alongside Milton Williams this year. He’s had moments of dominance as a pass rusher, leading the team with 45 QB hurries.
But he was noticeably less dominant with Williams out of the lineup, and with the much cheaper Cory Durden emerging over the latter part of the season, this could be an area where the Patriots look to add a draft and save some cash.
Barmore’s deal has a built-in out at the conclusion of this season, per Spotrac. The Patriots can exit the $83M extension he signed in 2026 with just a remaining dead cap charge of $12.8 million. He’s scheduled to have $10 million in guarantees kick in on the third day of the new league year, or March 13, so that could be a key date for any potential move.
This is obviously a really good player, and Barmore's just now entering his prime. But he hasn’t clearly separated himself as a long-term staple for the team, and he signed his extension before Vrabel was hired here. His contract could definitely be under the microscope this offseason.