There is plenty of room on the Patriots' bandwagon, and with New England is set up to have a vast improvement in 2025 from last year's 4-13 disaster, now is the time for casual fans to get on board with this exciting group of Patriots.
Since Tom Brady departed for greener pastures in Tampa Bay in 2020, the Patriots have been a shell of themselves. They made the playoffs only once and combined for an 8-26 mark the last two seasons.
The numbers should give casual observers every reason to avoid the Foxboro bandwagon, but now is as good a time as any to hop on board.
Patriots emerge as a top bandwagon to hop on this season
According to NFL.com's Gennaro Filice, the Patriots have emerged as an intriguing team for casual fans to follow come 2025. Given that New England was once the kings of the NFL, that may come as somewhat of a surprise, as casual fans tend to championship chase (looking at you, Swifties, in Kansas City gear).
The Patriots have their franchise quarterback in Drake Maye. Even though Eliot Wolf and Robert Kraft set him up to fail last season, Maye's rookie year left fans clamoring for the future. This offseason's biggest priority was surrounding Maye with talent capable of leading the Patriots back to the top of the AFC.
Wolf and Kraft certainly delivered, bringing in head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, a heralded free agent class headlined by Stefon Diggs and Milton Williams, while the Patriots' draft was an A-plus in which the likes of Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson were drawing rave reviews from dynasty pillars Dante Scarnecchia and James White.
New England walked away from Green Bay with one of the best draft classes by a wide margin. Maye has his protector in Campbell and home run threats in Henderson and receiver Kyle Williams.
Filice also praised New England's defense moves, most notably the signings of Williams, Carlton Davis III, Harold Landry, and Robert Spillane. A jump similar to the one the Broncos made in 2024 - one that led Denver to the postseason - isn't impossible. That unit will keep the Patriots in just about every game, so if the offense is better than last season, the Patriots will make the playoffs.
The Patriots are undoubtedly set up to succeed next season, and having the league's third-easiest schedule - home opponents include the woeful Giants, Raiders, Falcons, Panthers, Steelers, and Browns - certainly doesn't hurt. If there's any time to get excited to be a New England fan again or hop on the Foxboro bandwagon, now is the time.