Over the last five years, the Patriots haven't been fortunate enough to have many players they viewed as worthy of receiving a big extension, if one at all. They have struggled to draft or sign star players who could become pillars of the team for years to come, leading many to be released or traded.
They have appeared to strike gold with a couple of players over the last two years, most notably CB Christian Gonzalez and QB Drake Maye. But an under-the-radar stud of the special teams could also fall into that category: punter Bryce Baringer.
The third unit had always been stellar under Bill Belichick's watch. After a few questionable years of an apparent downfall, the head coach finally found a punter who could be a reliable fixture of the special teams by drafting Baringer in 2023. He has been as stellar as they come for a team known for prioritizing the group. After the latest extension news regarding Raiders' punter AJ Cole, they'll be on the hook for a massive extension for Barginger sooner rather than later.
Sources: The #Raiders and 2x First-Team All-Pro punter AJ Cole have agreed to a 4-year, $15.8M extension with $11M guaranteed, making him the highest-paid punter in the NFL.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) May 26, 2025
Cole had one year remaining on his current deal, so he’s now under contract for the next 5 seasons at… pic.twitter.com/oo7tmmsE1Z
Seeing the numbers in Cole's contract will put pressure on New England to offer something similar when Baringer is looking for an extension next year.
Bryce Barginer could be the next punter to set the market with massive extension in 2026
The new regime in Foxboro has made it clear that they want to assemble a roster of players who are committed to the team, share a similar mindset about their future, and can learn and grow together moving forward. That has inevitably led them to sign young players who will develop in their system, which could easily include Baringer when deciding about his future next year.
Although he has no ties to the new coaching staff, Baringer is only going into his third season and, given his position, won't garner a contract so massive that it could disrupt the roster plans Vrabel and Co. have for the future. However, he will yield an impressive salary, similar to Cole's, if he has another outstanding season in 2025, making it easy for Eliot Wolf to offer him a new contract to keep him tied to New England for a long time.
Because special teams is expected to be a priority again, and it's not easy to find the caliber of players needed to lead a solid group, there's no reason for Baringer not to remain a Patriot for as long as he continues to be productive.
That will inevitably warrant the Patriots to pay up, and so far, he has proven he deserves it. It's possible they won't view him in the same light that the Raiders view Cole, who has been in the NFL much longer. But it's fair to assume that Baringer might not be too far behind.
Fortunately, it appears they will have a bit of cap space to roll over into next year, giving them more money to work with for extensions with Baringer and likely Gonzalez. Given the state of the team, it seems like the smartest move would be to extend their best players, and the punter could easily be one of them.