On any NFL team, certain players sometimes fly under the radar while performing well every week. One of those players on the 2026 Patriots is inside linebacker Christian Elliss, who is in his fourth season in New England.
After a breakout season in 2025, Elliss continues to flourish, and he's getting noticed. Evan Lazar of Patriots.com has pointed out just how well the underrated Elliss has performed. So far this season, the 27-year-old has racked up 32 total stops, 1.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, and six quarterback hits.
Yet it's not just the raw stats; Elliss is making those big plays at important moments. That's made the 6'2", 231-pound young veteran an even more important cog in the Patriots' defense, playing alongside captain and fellow inside linebacker Robert Spillane.
Christian Elliss deserves a contract extension after another great start to the season
Elliss's potential was recognized long before Lazar's solid observation about his Miami game performance. Yet, he's now coming into his own in Mike Vrabel's attacking defense.
He's been flying all over the field, making difference-making plays. As Lazar points out, this is a contract year for him, and his fine play couldn't have come at a better time for the six-year NFL veteran.
Another strong performance by #Patriots LB Christian Elliss vs. Miami: team-high four run stuffs, three pressures, and an INT negated by penalty on a great zone drop.
— Evan Lazar (@ezlazar) November 2, 2026
Elliss is in the final year of his contract. Would think he's an extension candidate for the Pats.
The inside linebacker's two-year, $13.5M contract expires at the end of 2026. He'll become an unrestricted free agent at season's end. He's now making a very strong case that the Patriots should definitely extend his contract and keep Elliss, a young veteran presence on the interior linebacking corps, in Foxborough going forward.
Along with his linebacking partner Robert Spillane, the Patriots' inside linebacker duo is making a statement every week. Keeping Ellis around makes perfect sense.
While depth at the position is weak, Elliss, along with the now-healthy Spillane, at least represents a starting tandem that's performing at peak efficiency on a weekly basis.
Signing Eliss to a multi-year extension should be an easy decision for Mike Vrabel and his personnel operation this offseason. The Patriots paid Elliss an average of $6.75 million over his last two-year extension, matching an offer sheet from the Raiders for the restricted free agent.
This time out, he's unrestricted, and it will cost more for the Patriots to retain his services.
A key to maintaining a solid team that can contend not only for the playoffs, but more every season, is retaining your good players at reasonable salaries. Ellis is proving he'd be worth every bit of a solid salary increase in his next contract extension.
If he continues to make big plays for the rest of the season, it should be a no-brainer for the Patriots to sign the underrated Elliss to the extension he deserves and keep the interior of the linebacking corps intact for the foreseeable future.
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