Besides the nearly 30 players heading to free agency, the Patriots have to worry about, they also have a handful whose future will need to be decided this offseason. It's not exactly a position a new head coach wants to be in, but Jerod Mayo will need to move swiftly if he intends to rebuild a roster to be a competitive team in the years ahead.
There is also the potential desire to create more cap space ahead of time, allowing Mayo to spend even more than the estimated $70 million available for them in free agency. Choosing to release or trade some of the players with the murkiest futures would benefit the Patriots immediately, especially during an offseason when the roster needs significant upgrading.
These are just five of the players that have unsettled futures in New England during the next several months.
Mac Jones
This seems like the most obvious answer, mainly due to how his last two seasons have unfolded. But Mac Jones's time with the Patriots appears the least clear of all after being benched in 2023 for backup Bailey Zappe and the Patriots seemingly eyeing a rookie quarterback to take over the offense next season.
Although there are certainly arguments to be made about who is most to blame for the young quarterback's apparent regression, Mayo could decide Jones does not fit his vision for building the offensive roster. Even if he isn't named the starting quarterback, he could ultimately be relegated to the backup role, which wouldn't be a bad idea.
However, the team may want to start completely fresh as they enter the post-Bill Belichick era in New England.
No matter the case, Jones doesn't look to be on the cusp of regaining his starting job, at least with the Patriots. He could be traded if Mayo could somehow find a team willing to give up worthy compensation, or perhaps the idea of retaining a player knowledgeable of the system will be enticing enough for the new head coach to keep him as a backup for at least until his contract expires next year.
No matter what ends up happening, the one clear thing is Jones's career is anything but.
Kayshon Boutte
Besides the unfortunate news surrounding his recent arrest, which may cause his ultimate release, his underwhelming rookie season may be why the Patriots move on from Kayshon Boutte, if not move him to the practice squad.
The former LSU wide receiver was considered a potential steal of the draft, as he was once considered a first-round talent. But because of injuries and alleged issues with a new head coach, Boutte fell to New England in the sixth round and could never showcase why he was previously considered a top draft prospect.
His fellow sixth-round draft mate, Demario Douglas, outshone him from the start and seemingly earned his spot on the 53-man roster at the start of preseason. Boutte had a few standout moments before the regular season began, but once he got on the field for game time, drops and a nearly invisible presence made it easy to forget he was on the team.
Later in the year, he suffered a few injuries and eventually became a healthy scratch. Now that a new head coach is in charge, he may be given a chance to compete this summer for a spot on the roster.
However, his lack of showing almost anything he can contribute to the team could make him an easy cut before even getting an opportunity to prove himself.
Tyquan Thornton
Is it surprising to see another receiver on this list? Probably not, but that's where the Patriots are with their current pass-catching roster.
It's no secret that Belichick found it difficult to draft receivers throughout his career, and Tyquan Thornton has all the makings of being his latest draft mistake. Besides the initial response to him trading up to draft the former Baylor receiver being unexcited, we've only seen a few splashes of exactly why the former head coach liked what he saw from Thornton.
Other than those few moments, most of which came during his rookie season, he has dealt with injury after injury and been unable to earn a spot on the field when he was healthy. The rise of Douglas and the reliability of others have pushed him to the bottom of the receiving chart, and it's hard to imagine how he will move up the ladder this offseason.
J.C. Jackson
The reaction to J.C. Jackson in New England has endured many variations over the last few years. When he first became a free agent in 2021, he was considered the top player that Bill Belichick needed to re-sign long-term. Because he was the top cornerback of the free agent class that year, he went where the money was and signed with the Chargers instead, looking like one of the bigger mistakes of Belichick's career.
But the story didn't end there.
Jackson had quite a tumultuous time on the West Coast, seeming to struggle with the new defensive scheme the Chargers had compared to the Patriots, where he consistently shined. He underwent ankle surgery in the offseason, forcing him to miss the entire preseason and season opener, and because of his struggles figuring out his new team, he was benched by Week 6.
He then suffered a non-contact, season-ending injury and because he was never able to be the player he was in New England, the Chargers traded him back to Foxboro in October of 2023.
Some of those same struggles carried over, and numerous off-the-field issues dominated the headlines during his return. Jackson was eventually placed on the reserve/non-football illness list in December due to personal problems he was dealing with, and it's unclear if we will see him suit up again for the Patriots.
He could be a great addition to the secondary under Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones next year, but his contract would also open a lot of cap space for Jerod Mayo if he chooses to trade or cut him.
Much of the decision will likely boil down to Jackson's availability and how he performs if he can get back on the field. If he demonstrates similar play to what made him so successful during his first stint, there's no reason not to keep him. But if not, it feels like he will be elsewhere next year.
Chad Ryland
The Patriots' difficulty finding a viable kicker continued last year despite Nick Folk being on the roster. At first glance, deciding to move on from a 39-year-old for a rookie makes sense, but because Folk hadn't shown any real signs of declining performance, releasing him in favor of Chad Ryland was a significant risk that did not pay off.
It has become one of the worst roster decisions of Bill Belichick's storied career, at least in recent years.
Despite being considered one of the best of the class in 2023, it didn't take long for Ryland to start the unfortunate trend of missing critical field goals. It remained that way for the entire season, and by the end, he missed a total of nine, most of which were well under the 50+ yard mark.
Ryland became a liability, forcing the offense to go for it on fourth downs or kick punts instead of going for a field goal to keep him off the field. And although it was certainly a hit to his confidence, it was an easier decision than risking him missing another scoring attempt.
He now enters a critical offseason, and his future is on the line, even more so with the list of successful kickers entering free agency. Keeping Ryland on the roster would be beneficial since he remains on a rookie contract. But his reliability questions may not be worth retaining him just to see if he improves.