The Patriots are fortunate to have the lucky problem of too many wide receivers on their current roster heading into the 2026 season, creating plenty of competition for those who are far from locking up a spot on the team.
One of those players is Efton Chism III, an undrafted pass catcher out of Eastern Washington who is yet to carve a role for himself offensively. Although he showed flashes of greatness during his rookie season, most notably in the preseason, he wasn't heavily involved in the game plan, and that means he's facing the chopping block this summer.
Given his experience over some of his teammates, he has a little bit going for him that could become a major part in keeping his position on the roster. But as things look after nearly a week of training camp, it's clear that Chism is among the handful of receivers actively vying for a spot in any way that they can earn it.
For the 24-year-old, it might come from his performance on special teams, and while that might not be the most ideal for a receiver, it might be the only way that Chism keeps his locker.
From what we've seen over the past week, it feels much more comfortable to assume that his way to stay on the team is as a returner, especially after seeing his performance near the end of the week, and that makes him far more useful than becoming the seventh receiver in a crowded receiving corps.
Efton Chism might be headed for a different role with the Patriots than anyone imagined
In the first week of training camp, Chism has spent time in multiple areas, including special teams, and has consistently been part of the group returning kicks/punts.
We saw a lot of that during his rookie season as well, but he wasn't used much, if at all, during the regular season, which might change this year given the Patriots' lack of a go-to returner after letting go of running back Antonio Gibson in the spring.
Fortunately, Chism has been thriving in this role, even making some impressive blocks during Friday's practice to get free and run for 50+ yards, and if he can keep that momentum going, there's no reason he can't earn that role permanently.
Keeping him around, even for special teams, doesn't mean he can't be used as a receiver, however, and that might be the most beneficial part of the Patriots keeping him on the roster. He could serve a dual role as something of a secret weapon for Drake Maye, similar to what we saw from DeMario Douglas last year.
Because it looks like Douglas might have a more prominent role offensively this year, that opens the door for Chism to walk through. Based on what we've seen from him so far this summer, he's well on his way to taking that opportunity and making it his position to lose.
He will now have the task of continuing his rise and cementing his spot in the locker room moving forward. If he can do that, then the Patriots are far more set with their third unit and have a chance to make one of their deepest wide receiver rooms in recent memory.
It's hard to be upset about that.
Add us as a preferred source on Google