Patriots reportedly toying with Christian Barmore decision that could turn ugly

With less than two weeks until the 2026 trade deadline, the Patriots have become one of the most discussed teams that could make a move in the next few days. Most believe they'd be buyers rather than sellers, even with their current limited cap space, but the latest rumors suggest otherwise.

In addition to being linked to several top trade candidates who play the most vulnerable positions on their roster, the team is now reportedly interested in trading defensive tackle Christian Barmore, whom Bill Belichick drafted in the second round in 2022.

Over the past six years, Barmore has had a very up-and-down career, peaking in 2023 when he recorded 64 combined tackles, 13 for a loss, 16 quarterback hits, 6 passes defended, a forced fumble, and 8.5 sacks. Since then, he hasn't come close to replicating that kind of production, despite starting in 16 of the 17 games last season.

Much of that didn't seem to matter in the eyes of Mike Vrabel, though, who has cut nearly every player who was coached by Belichick during their time with the Patriots, yet Barmore stayed put.

But that looks like it could be coming to an end, at least according to the latest rumors, and explains why Barmore has seen a decrease in his time on the field.

The Patriots are reportedly willing to trade Christian Barmore, despite his consistent performance

According to NFL insider Albert Breer, the Patriots are "open" to trading Barmore and have him available. They haven't said what they'd want in return from an interested team, but they'd likely want a decent haul, given where he was drafted and how important he's been to their defense.

Although he has a reduced role so far this season, it hasn't changed the impact he continues to have on the defense, which makes it even more questionable why the coaching staff made the sudden change.

Barmore has trended up since Milton Williams joined the team last year, and they became one of the league's best defensive tackle duos in 2025. That could surely continue, and their performance is widely overlooked, but the stats prove Barmore has been efficient and productive.

Because much of the team's success this season, especially in the first month, came from the defense, Barmore played a major role, and it shouldn't be overlooked. It seems the coaches in New England are doing just that, and it's hard to see why they'd want to trade him before the deadline other than hoping for a decent return.

Barmore seemed just as confused about the rumors, with reporters asking him about them earlier this week; without hesitation, he emphasized the work he puts in and said any questions about his future should be directed to his coaches.

“I mean, I do everything my coaches tell me to do,” Barmore said. “So you have to talk to my coaches about that.”

He also seemed to respond to the chatter on social media on Friday by posting a GIF to his Twitter/X without context.

Some assume this was a response to the trade rumors, while others wonder if he knows he's being traded and it just hasn't been announced yet. Regardless, the timing of the post doesn't feel like a coincidence and we'll just have to wait and see what it could possibly mean.

Given what the rest of their season looks like and the opponents they still face, it would seem unwise to trade away one of their best defenders, who is having his most productive season since his 2023 breakout.

It's understandable that they likely want to add more draft capital to their stockpile for the 2027 draft, or even 2028, and trading away a player like Barmore would fetch the best return. But at the same time, it feels like a move that could derail their defensive hopes this season, leaving just Milton Williams and Cory Durden to fill the void.

Obviously, there's not much to worry about with Williams, but Durden is more of an unproven player, whereas Barmore has reverted to his previous form since working with Williams.

That should be enough reason to keep him on the roster, especially since he's under contract through the 2028 season and he's only 27 years old. Unless something is going on behind the scenes that hasn't been made public yet, trading him would be a head-scratching move, to say the least.

For now, it's just a rumor, and Vrabel didn't say much about it when asked by reporters on Friday morning. That doesn't quiet the whispers, and it doesn't mean Barmore will or won't be traded.

So for the time being, we'll just have to assume it's just a rumor and maybe it was put out there just to see if teams would make an offer the Patriots couldn't refuse, and that's all it is.

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