The New England Patriots have been hit with a wave of injuries, with the wide receivers, offensive line, and cornerbacks being the most affected. While the defensive backfield has returned to full health, the wide receiver room is still held together with tape.
In a win over the Dolphins, the Patriots rostered four wideouts. Fourth-year slot man Pop Douglas was the most notable, while veteran practice squad elevation Ryan Miller had the second-most games played on his resume. Second-year wideouts Kyle Williams and Efton Chism rounded out the group.
The team opened Mack Hollins' 21-day IR return window on Wednesday, while A.J. Brown has managed to play in only three games this season. Despite being targeted 20 times in those three games, he's pulled in only nine catches for 101 yards.
Romeo Doubs is also on IR with a shoulder injury.
With New England's top threats out, backups have taken advantage. Williams had a career-high 91 yards and added a score in Week 5, and Efton Chism's spectacular one-handed grab against the Bills will be one fans remember for years. Douglas, however, has put himself in position to make a significant chunk of change come the offseason.
Pop Douglas is setting himself up to cash a substantial check this offseason
Douglas has been a consistent target for Maye when he has his top receivers. After seeing significant targets over his first two years, Douglas took a back seat in 2025. The former Liberty wideout receiver posted career lows in catches (31), targets (46), and yards (447), but remained productive.
His 14.4 yards per catch was the highest of his career, and his yards per snap was also the highest of his career. While Douglas was used more sparingly, he was more efficient than in his first two seasons. Now, with the Patriots' top receivers out, he's uniting efficiency with box score production.
Douglas is on pace for a career-high 55 catches for 705 yards and 8 touchdowns, which would be massive for his pockets in a contract year. In the spring, we saw Wan'Dale Robinson receive a four-year deal worth $70 million after breaking a thousand yards in his final season with the Giants.
While Douglas isn't projected to be as productive, his first three seasons were better than Robinson's.
Pop Douglas in 2025:
— Graham Wilker (@GrahamWilker1) November 4, 2026
17 games
76.8% of snaps from the slot
2 50+ yard games
3 touchdowns
2026:
8 games
74.1% of snaps from the slot
3 50+ yard games
4 touchdowns
Douglas has made the most of injuries, showing he can be a stable slot option in a contract year. #Patriots
Looking at the state of the wide receiver market, a slot receiver averaging nearly 13 yards per catch and on pace to finish with his best statistical year to date will merit a competitive contract.
Assuming Douglas finishes the season strong, his floor is likely similar to Jahan Dotson's $7.5 million per season, while a ceiling around Jalen Nailor's $11.6 million seems fair.
While he's been a solid rotational piece for the team over the last few seasons, letting Douglas walk after a career year seems like the right move, especially if his asking price is around $10 million. His departure could also warrant a late-round compensatory draft pick, which could be used to draft a similar player, asinceDouglas was selected in the sixth round.
While it's been frustrating to see the team deal with so many injuries this season, Douglas is surely dreaming of a life-altering payday come March.
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