Now that the 2025 NFL season is officially over, it's time to look ahead to free agency and the blockbuster trades that might occur, as they do almost every year. The Patriots have the potential to get involved in one of their own, as they have a solid amount of cap space to utilize and a Super Bowl window to take advantage of.
But the same can be said about their most familiar foes, with the Bills being at the top of the list. Given that Josh Allen will enter the 2026 season at 30 years old and in his ninth year, it's fair to expect the new coaching staff will want to make a big splash to give him the best chance at a Lombardi.
So a trade for a player like wide receiver Justin Jefferson makes a lot of sense. But that also creates an absolute nightmare scenario for the Patriots.
Jordan Dajani of CBS Sports floats the idea of Buffalo getting a deal done for the 4-time Pro Bowler, and New England needs to hope they can't make it happen.
The Bills might try their best to pull off a trade for Justin Jefferson - which would be terrible for the Patriots
Although he doesn't suggest what a trade package might look like, Dajani believes the Bills could pull off a trade for Jefferson to give Allen the best wide receiver he's had the chance to work with in his career so far. That would certainly put their offense over the top and create a tough situation for the Patriots' defense next season.
The reigning divisional champions go into the 2026 season hoping to continue their streak, but giving Allen arguably the best receiver in the league would put that streak at risk.
Jefferson is coming off the worst season of his career, recording just 84 receptions for 1,048 yards and two touchdowns in 17 games. While those are still impressive stats, they're nowhere near the kind of production we typically see from him, mainly due to their issue at quarterback, and if the Vikings are hoping to revamp their roster, they might consider trading the receiver for a bucket of draft picks.
Fortunately for the Patriots, the Bills begin the 2026 offseason with an estimated $7-10 million in the red, meaning they'll need to cut players or restructure contracts to free up more money to spend in free agency.
That makes their chances of being seriously involved in a trade of this magnitude increasingly unlikely.
It does, however, mean the Patriots could get involved if Minnesota decides they will entertain offers for their WR1. That would be quite a way to boost Drake Maye's productivity in Year 3, and a great way to stick to the Bills after being connected to Jefferson to start the offseason.