3 Patriots who earned new contracts from their performance in Wild Card win

At this point in the NFL offseason over the last five years, the Patriots have been focused on the upcoming free-agent class and the draft, as they have missed the playoffs almost every year since Tom Brady left for the Bucs.

This season is different, however, as they handled business against the Chargers on Wild Card Weekend to face either the Steelers or Texans next Sunday in the divisional round.

Plenty of players deserve a lot of credit for getting the team to this point, especially with their performance against the Chargers. It was a defensive-heavy game for New England, and three of their biggest standouts put on one of the best performances of their tenures, seemingly earning a new contract because of it.

Although that might not be a focus right now, if they continue to play at a high level, no matter how many more games they play this postseason, Mike Vrabel and Co. will need to really determine whether the team would be better off with them on the roster or watching them walk.

And it seems pretty clear that they need to keep them around.

3 Patriots players who earned a new contract with their performance vs. the Chargers

LB K'Lavon Chaisson

One of the most under-the-radar signings of this past year's free agency was the one-year prove-it contract for K'Lavon Chaisson, who spent the first five years with the Jaguars before having the best season of his career with the Raiders in 2024.

Given he was mostly unproven, the Patriots gave him a one-year deal, hoping he would take advantage of the opportunities he was given, which inevitably led to him becoming a starter and performing at a high level. And that is exactly what he has done so far this season, and he showed up and showed out against the Chargers on Sunday night.

In the regular season, Chaisson recorded 31 combined tackles, 10 for a loss, 18 quarterback hits, two passes defended, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery for a touchdown, and 7.5 sacks. He added even more impressive stats to his season in his first playoff game.

He had already proven his worth to the team by stepping up to the plate when lead pass rusher Harold Landry III suffered an injury and was sidelined for several weeks, and now Chaisson has just ensured he will receive a big contract in free agency.

The Patriots should be the ones to open their checkbook to keep him around.

LB Anfernee Jennings

Going into the summer, Anfernee Jennings was consistently one of the most discussed trade candidates all the way until the deadline in October. Rumors swirled that he didn't fit Vrabel's defensive scheme, and he wasn't playing at the level the new head coach wanted, only for him to turn things around in the second half of the year and prove the naysayers wrong.

He has really found himself over the past several weeks and has had standout players in those games, including a big-time sack on Justin Herbert for a loss of eight yards on a 3rd-and-1 play late in the fourth quarter.

Considering all that Jennings has dealt with this season, which couldn't have been easy, he's done exactly what the new regime hoped to see from him and then some, so there's plenty of reason to keep him around in 2026 and beyond, especially if he continues to ramp up his performance in the rest of the playoffs.

LB Christian Elliss

Sticking with the theme of linebackers, Christian Elliss has become an integral part of the Patriots' defensive line this season, particularly since the game against the Giants, with the hit heard around the world on Jaxson Dart.

His return to the Patriots, after almost being stolen away by the Raiders, has proven to be the right move by New England, as he recorded eight total tackles on Sunday night, plus a pass defended and a quarterback hit, all of which came exactly at the right time.

His physicality and incredible athleticism elevate the defense to a new level, and his hard-hitting is exactly the kind of defensive reputation Mike Vrabel loves.

Although he's technically under contract for the 2026 season, there might already be plenty of evidence to extend him beyond that. If he continues to play like this for the rest of the way, it should be difficult to convince the front office that it would be a bad idea to do that.