4 of the greatest New England Patriots one-hit-wonder seasons in franchise history

Looking back throughout the Patriots' history, several players stand out for various reasons. Whether it be their talent, leadership, longevity, or game-changing performance, countless players have gone on to become legends in New England for their contributions, particularly during the dynasty years.

But what makes it all the more interesting is the number of players that went on to become integral parts of the team's success in their one season spent in Foxboro.

A player who played a single season with a team is rarely remembered for years after they departed. Still, the Patriots have been fortunate to have a lengthy list of great one-season signings that played an integral part during the last twenty years.

This list showcases just seven of those players.

Darrelle Revis - 2014

• 16 games
• 47 combined tackles
• 2 TFL, 2 INT
• 14 PD
• 1 FF, 1 FR
• Pro Bowl selection, First-Team All-Pro honors

In one of the least likely signings that any Patriots fan could have imagined happening, Darrelle Revis taking his talents to New England in 2014 will probably go down as the most unexpected.

After spending the majority of his career watching the Patriots' success with the New York Jets, Revis decided it was time to pursue the one thing that had eluded him his entire career; a Super Bowl. And the 2014 season was the best time to do it.

The Patriots continued to dominate the AFC and the NFL for ten years leading to that season, despite having not won a Super Bowl in ten years. They earned their way back by winning the division, beating the Ravens in an iconic postseason game, and demolishing the Colts in what is now called the "deflategate game."

Revis performed how he typically would throughout the regular season games and kept it going during their playoff run. He intercepted Andrew Luck in the AFC Championship game, returning it for 30 yards, and added two passes defended to his stat sheet.

In the Super Bowl, he shockingly sacked Russell Wilson and was finally able to call himself a Super Bowl champion after Malcolm Butler sealed the win with an end zone interception.

His performance during his lone season in the Northeast earned him another Pro Bowl selection and First-Team All-Pro honors; par for the course of a Hall of Fame cornerback, right?

It was the perfect end for Revis in what would be his only season with the Patriots, one that allowed him to accomplish what he always wanted to during his football career. And although it was just one season, Patriots fans will always think fondly when remembering Belichick stole the best cornerback in the league from one of their biggest divisional rivals.

Malcolm Mitchell - 2016

• 14 games
• 32 receptions for 401 yards
• 4 touchdowns
• 12.5 yards per reception
• Most memorable performance: Super Bowl 51

When you think of some of the best one-hit-wonder seasons in Patriots history, it's fair to say that Malcolm Mitchell is at the top of nearly everyone's list.

Not only does he fit into that category, but you could argue he's also become one of New England's most prominent "what could have been" stories, which will forever be difficult for most fans to let go of.

A fourth-round draft pick out of Georgia, Mitchell joined the Patriots during a pinnacle time for the franchise. They were just one year removed from winning Super Bowl 49 and barely missed their chance to make it to Super Bowl 50. Now they were making their way back to a deep post-season run, with rookie Mitchell making an impact early on.

During Tom Brady's career, it was never common for the quarterback to trust and utilize rookie receivers, especially when his offense consisted of some of his most trusted pass catchers, like Danny Amendola, Julian Edelman, and Rob Gronkowski. But Mitchell was involved immediately, and his contributions grew as the season continued.

It all came to a head during Super Bowl 51 against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Patriots found themselves in a deep hole early on, trailing 28-3 with just two minutes left in the third quarter. Brady turned to his most productive players, Amendola, Edelman, and James White. But Mitchell was included in that group during the comeback attempt.

He was one of the only receivers to have a nearly perfect night, catching six of seven receptions for 70 yards, and his performance played a significant role in winning Lombardi number five.

The future looked bright for Mitchell, and fans were excited to see what the young receiver would do. However, life had other plans.

In September of the following season, he was placed on injured reserve and could not return to the field that year. Continuing to deal with a nagging knee injury in 2018, the Patriots waived Mitchell before the start of the season, and in March of the following year, he announced he was retiring from football.

It was an absolute gut punch to all the fans who had such high hopes for what he could bring to the team, particularly after seeing how well he did in a high-pressure game like Super Bowl 51. And it was a sad ending for a player with all the potential in the world.

The good thing, though, is Mitchell has gone on to do beautiful things in his retirement. He has written children's books, started a foundation, Read With Malcolm, which focuses on inspiring kids to read and continues to work with schools in New England communities.

Martellus Bennett - 2016

• 16 games
• 55 receptions for 701 yards
• 7 touchdowns
• 12.7 yards per reception - 2nd best of career

When Martellus Bennett made his way to the Patriots in 2016 via trade, the tight end had already made his mark in the league between three teams. He was two years removed from being selected to his first Pro Bowl and ended up in New England at the perfect time, not just for him and his career but also for the Patriots.

They were right in the middle of the second half of their dynasty's success, having won Super Bowl 49 two seasons prior. But the year started differently than most, with Tom Brady serving his suspension for the drama that was deflategate.

That left Jimmy Garoppolo as the starter, with Jacoby Brissett to fill in for the legendary quarterback. And despite the massive difference between them and Brady, the team didn't falter in those first four games, including the newly signed Bennett.

He made a significant impact during the first two games of the season, which became even more vital with Rob Gronkowski dealing with a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined at the start of the year.

Bennett totaled eight receptions for 128 yards and two touchdowns in those games against the Cardinals and Dolphins, setting the tone for the rest of his first season in New England.

The Patriots went on to end the year with a 14-2 record, with Brady winning league MVP and the team winning Super Bowl 51. And a big piece of that success came from the production of Bennett.

And he provided us with this incredible memory after winning the AFC Championship game, making him a fan favorite for years to come.

He totaled 55 receptions for 701 yards and seven touchdowns during the year. Although he wasn't at the forefront throughout the post-season run, he was essential to the win over the Falcons during the Super Bowl.

He contributed to the game with five receptions for 62 yards and unbelievably timed pass interference penalties that massively played a part in the team's unimaginable comeback victory.

After winning his first Lombardi trophy, Bennett signed with the Packers for the 2017 season. Multiple reports indicated a lot of drama between the tight end and Green Bay regarding team doctors and Bennett playing through injury. This ultimately led to his being waived, with the team citing "failure to disclose a medical condition designation."

He returned to the Patriots for the remainder of the season, but due to the injuries he was dealing with, he only played in two games and decided to retire at the end of the season.

Although his time was short with the Patriots, Bennett was the perfect acquisition at a time the team really needed a reliable tight end.

Brandin Cooks - 2017

• 16 games
• 65 receptions for 1,082 yards
• 7 touchdowns
• 16.6 yards per reception - best of career

In one of the more shocking trades in recent NFL history, when the Saints traded their back-to-back 1,000-yard season wide receiver Brandin Cooks to the Patriots in 2017, it was nearly unfathomable. But like others on this list, his arrival in New England couldn't have come at a better time.

Throughout Bill Belichick's tenure as head coach, there haven't been many times when the offense had spectacular weapons for Tom Brady to work with. For most seasons before the Cooks trade, much of the production went through Julian Edelman or Rob Gronkowski, both of whom were essential to the latter half of the dynasty.

But since Edelman suffered a season-ending injury during the last preseason game, Cooks was very much needed and quickly rose to the top of the depth chart ahead of Danny Amendola and Chris Hogan.

He was precisely the WR1 Brady needed at that point in his career, becoming the go-to target each and every game.

Cooks added another 1,000-yard season to his resume, totaling 65 receptions for 1,082 yards and seven touchdowns through all 16 games. And he was the most productive and reliable receiver during the iconic AFC Championship Game against the Jaguars, totaling six receptions for 100 yards.

But that's, unfortunately, where Cooks' time ended in New England.

The Patriots went on to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl against the Eagles. Shortly after the second quarter began, Cooks was knocked out by a hit to the head and put into concussion protocol, forcing him to miss the remainder of the game.

A few months later, he was once again traded, but this time to the Los Angeles Rams for a first-round pick, which became Isaiah Wynn, and a sixth-round pick. Since then, the Patriots have struggled to find a reliable and game-changing WR1, making fans wonder what could have been had Cooks remained with the team in the years that followed the Super Bowl LII loss.