The New England Patriots entered the 2026 offseason with major needs to fill after being clobbered by the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. The offensive line needed a major infusion of talent, and the team's edge depth was thin. Other positions, like tight end and running back, also needed additions.
Whether New England accomplished those goals is debatable, but at least one top analyst, Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal, thinks the team is primed for another playoff push.
The Patriots' 2026 schedule will be considerably tougher than in 2025 due in part to them winning the AFC East. It's the result of the NFL's attempt to achieve more parity among teams. Winning the previous season is rewarded with a much more challenging schedule.
The rub this year for the Patriots is that they'll face four 2025 playoff teams in their first four games. That will be highlighted by a rematch with the Seahawks, in Seattle, in the NFL's season opening game on September 9. That tilt will be followed by games against the Steelers, Jaguars, and Bills. Only the Steelers game is at home.
Regardless, Bedard is bullish on the 2026 Patriots and thinks they'll emerge from the first four games 2-2 after beating both Seattle and Pittsburgh. He has them losing to both the Jaguars and Bills. He then predicts they'll go 9-4 the rest of the way.
Greg Bedard believes the Patriots can survive their brutal opening schedule
While Bedard's prediction of a win in Seattle with their vaunted 12th man on hand may be a bit far-fetched, certainly wins against the Steelers and Jaguars aren't. Winning the Bills' game in Buffalo in their new Highmark Stadium also seems a bit optimistic, but a 2-2 start feels realistic.
.@GregABedard predicts #Patriots will go 11-6 this season after looking over the schedule pic.twitter.com/zIUvGA19i4
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) May 15, 2026
Included in the remaining games are tough opponents, the Chiefs, Bears, Chargers, Vikings, and Broncos. There's no doubt that this schedule is a far cry from New England's relatively tepid one in 2025. Yet, the team has had another year to retool the roster, and those offseason decisions, as they do every season, will determine if Bedard is right (or over the top) in his optimism.
The key to all of this is the offensive line. Last season, they surrendered 47 regular-season and 21 postseason sacks. Interestingly and a bit confoundingly, the team returns four of the same starters from that group in 2026. One, Jared Wilson, will move from left guard to center, a position he hasn't played in the NFL. The new addition is the talented but oft-injured guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, who didn't play a snap in 2025 due to injury. The O-line doesn't inspire great confidence.
The good news is that left tackle Will Campbell should be healthy, and the team traded up in the first round for tackle Caleb Lomu in April's draft. He should serve as the top backup to both Campbell and 35-year-old veteran Morgan Moses. Having played left tackle at Utah, Lomu should be a solid depth piece for the team this year.
The big plus the Patriots have is Drake Maye. He's one of the NFL's ascending young quarterbacks and manages to overcome obstacles even with an offensive line that kept him in perpetual jeopardy throughout 2025, including a right shoulder injury that hampered him in the Super Bowl.
If the Patriots land star Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown in a trade next month, after landing free agent Romeo Doubs in free agency, they will have upgraded their top two receiving positions. Yet, the key remains the O-line. If that unit can give Maye a clean pocket and open running lanes to keep the pressure off, there's nothing the 2026 Patriots can't accomplish, and Bedard's prediction may actually prove to be pessimistic.
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