After winning the AFC last season, the New England Patriots could struggle in 2026.
The New England Patriots have been predicted to start the 2026 NFL season "cold."
NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report believes New England will struggle out of the gate next season.
In Year 2 of the Mike Vrabel era, the Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Buffalo Bills, Las Vegas Raiders, New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Chargers, Bills, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, Jets, Denver Broncos and Dolphins.
"The Patriots won 14 games last year in part due to a last-place schedule, but the Pats will receive no such benefit in 2026," Davenport wrote. "Starting with a trip to Seattle for a Super Bowl LX rematch to kick off the season, the Patriots face four straight 2025 playoff teams to open the season. As if that wasn't tough enough, three of those games are on the road, including trips to Seattle, Jacksonville and Buffalo."
New England won the AFC last season but lost to Seattle in the Super Bowl. Since the Patriots have a tough schedule in 2026 and Vrabel could be a huge distraction because of the Dianna Russini scandal, NFL analyst Moe Moton of Bleacher Report thinks Vrabel and Co. will go 8-9 next season.
Vrabel had an affair with Russini, who has left The Athletic and is no longer on social media. Photos showed Vrabel hugging and holding hands with Russini at an adults-only hotel in Arizona. Vrabel and Russini, who are both married to other people, told the New York Post that the photos didn't accurately reflect their interaction.
However, after initially receiving support from The Athletic, Russini announced she was resigning from her role at the outlet. There were also more photos released showing Russini and Vrabel kissing and renting a private boat while Russini was pregnant.
Vrabel was not with the Patriots on Day 3 of the NFL Draft. He was with his family and sought counseling.
Patriots superstar QB Drake Maye doesn't think the Vrabel-Russini scandal will distract the team next season. Maye spoke to The Associated Press following the Truist Championship Pro-Am in Charlotte, where he was paired with PGA Tour pro Gary Woodland on the back nine at Quail Hollow.
"No, I don't," Maye said. "I mean, he's our head coach. I think he's done a great job of talking to us and talking us through it. I'm just looking forward to getting back to work and getting ready."
The Patriots cut Stefon Diggs and added Romeo Doubs this offseason. They have been heavily linked to Philadelphia Eagles star A.J. Brown, who could get traded after June 1. Vrabel coached Brown on the Tennessee Titans and the two have a close relationship.
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. He finished in second in MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
Patriots Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Patriots. Click the "Join" button at the top of the page to join our community for free.