The New England Patriots have been battered from pillar to post this offseason, especially after the 2026 NFL schedule was released.
The negative commentary about their weak 2025 schedule and how the much more difficult 2026 one will sink their aspirations this season has been everywhere. Analysts from across the country are jumping on the bandwagon that the Patriots were a schedule-driven flash in the pan in 2025 and will revert back to form — as in, not playoff quality in 2026.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon recently added to the pile, predicting that the Patriots will miss the 2026 playoffs. He mentioned factors such as their tougher strength of schedule, injury luck, and the potential for continued off-field distractions in his reasoning.
"The Patriots made a surprise Super Bowl run in a Cinderella 2025 campaign, but the stars are anything but aligned as the team prepares to battle a potential Super Bowl hangover in 2026," Gagnon wrote. "These guys will have a target on their back, which isn't ideal considering they overachieved under the aforementioned circumstances in 2025. The previous year's Super Bowl loser has failed to win a playoff game in each of the last three seasons. Look for that trend to continue in 2026."
In fairness, Gagnon's article was written before the culmination of the A.J. Brown trade. Yet, naysayers seem to discount even the strongest arguments in the Patriots' favor when projecting 2026, so who knows if a blockbuster trade will move the needle nationally?
The Patriots' offseason improvements continue to get overlooked
Gagnon's emphasis that the 2026 Patriots schedule is much more difficult than last year's is spot-on. A loser's schedule is always more difficult than a division winner's. Yet, one additional point he makes is not well-directed.
He emphasized that stats show the Patriots had a very healthy team in 2025, and they'll be much more impacted by injuries in 2026. That may well be statistically true, but suggesting that injuries didn't have much of an impact on the team in 2025 is specious.
Not only was Drake Maye injured in the playoffs, but his left tackle, the second most important position player on the team, Will Campbell, missed four games with an injury. That injury was also a major limiting factor for him throughout the latter part of the season and the entire playoffs. Discounting injuries to any team's two most important players seems short-sighted.
The team also lost its third running back and kick returner, Antonio Gibson, for the season early on, and had significant injuries to key defensive players. These included linebacker Robert Spillane, who missed four games and was limited in others, and their best edge defender, Harold Landry III, who was impacted by a balky knee for a good portion of the season. Talented defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga was on the shelf for three games, and rookie defensive tackle Joshua Farmer was also dinged up.
Whether Gagnon is right or not is to be determined. But one thing is clear: both Maye and Campbell should be 100 percent healthy entering Week 1, and that will go a long way toward bolstering the Patriots' 2026 season.
On the plus side, the Patriots' wide receiver room is much improved. A healthy Maye and Campbell will help maximize its use to the fullest. When you have the best completion percentage passer in the NFL, a now top receiving corps, an improved offensive line, and an above-average defense, things could look a whole lot worse.
Don't count the Patriots out just yet. They may just surprise the NFL again in 2026.
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