One of the most evident things the Patriots needed to accomplish during the 2025 offseason was acquiring an inarguable WR1 for Drake Maye to work with. The team's lack of offensive firepower has been an issue for a number of years, and now that they appear to have their quarterback of the future, there is no more time to waste in getting the caliber of receiver they need.
They came into free agency with the most cap space to use and excellent draft positioning to pull off a blockbuster trade, only to use more than half their cash on signing defensive players in the first week. While it's hard to argue against the players they signed, the lack of offensive talent is noteworthy, especially now that another desirable player will no longer be available.
Rumors have long suggested the Patriots were interested in signing or trading for Bengals receiver Tee Higgins. They were supposed to have the opportunity to do so this year since he was set to be a free agent for the first time in his career.
Instead, the Bengals finally agreed on a contract extension with the receiver, and Higgins will now be on the team for the next four years, taking him off the table for the Patriots in the foreseeable future.
BREAKING: #Bengals WRs Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins exclusively tell me they’ve agreed to contract extensions with the team.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) March 17, 2025
Ja'Marr gets: 4-years, $161M with $112M guaranteed — making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history.
Tee gets: 4-years, $115M with the first two… pic.twitter.com/zbdnEDELgz
This isn't an entirely surprising report considering news leading into the week suggested they were nearing a deal. But it should definitely light a fire under the Patriots, who have been lackluster in acquiring the kind of players that the offense has long needed.
The Patriots can no longer watch receivers they were interested in sign elsewhere, and do nothing to help their offense
The Patriots offense has been a mess over the last few years for a number of reasons, with the quarterback situation becoming one of their non-problems over the past season. With that squared away, they still have a glaring hole on the offensive line, even more so now with David Andrews' departure, and their receiving corps is less than impressive.
The return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels will surely make them a better group than they are on paper, but it's still not enough to help Maye become the quarterback the Patriots know and believe he can be for them.
They have now watched a few of the most desirable receivers of this year's free agency go to other teams, and those who could have been traded for go elsewhere. With Higgins being the latest, there's no reason Mike Vrabel and Co. don't devise a plan to get someone in the door as soon as possible, or they might be in a worse situation during the 2025 season than the year before.
That's not a good position to be in, especially when you have the luxury of a quarterback on a rookie contract. Their options are increasingly limited now, too, with only a few notable names remaining unsigned heading into the second week of free agency.
On top of that, the most tradeable receivers have already been moved, decreasing their possibilities even further.
It might inevitably force them to use their first-round draft pick on their future WR1, which isn't necessarily a bad move, but it's also expected a lot from a rookie. There are a lot of benefits to having a veteran receiver as the go-to guy for a young quarterback, and it's looking less likely that the Patriots will have the opportunity to have that kind of player on the roster this fall.
Regardless, something has to be done, or the 2025 season will not start in the most optimistic way.