5 players who robbed the Patriots blind in 2023

There is a lot to consider when reflecting upon the Patriots' 2023 season; unfortunately, most of it is not good. Yet it will be a memorable season for many reasons, mainly because it ended up being Bill Belichick's final year as New England's head coach.

Among the many issues the team dealt with last season was poor production from a handful of players who were supposed to be vital pieces of the roster.

The offense, in particular, seemed to suffer the most in this area, and to make matters worse, the team owed them a lot of money for their forgettable efforts.

Trent Brown

Cap hit: $12,213,236

The name that by far tops this list is Trent Brown, who, at one point, was one of the best offensive linemen in the league during the Patriots' chaotic season. It was a notable feat considering how poorly the rest of his teammates were playing, but nagging injuries and what some deemed to be a lack of effort from Brown resulted in a fluctuation in performance as the season progressed.

Besides injuries that kept him out of a few games, countless rumors were circulating about his behavior behind the scenes and his attitude about not hitting the threshold to earn his incentives for the season.

That prompted him to take to the media to air his grievances, some deservedly so, but it also is said to have created some friction in the locker room.

For the most part, he played well during the 11 games he took the field for, earning an 80.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. However, the issue of consistency and motivation reared its ugly head again during the season, which has allegedly been a common issue with Brown, hence why a cap hit of over $12 million feels like a significant amount to pay a guy with consistency issues.