Should Patriots Wide Receiver Efton Chism III Become a More Pivotal Weapon on the Patriots Offense?

What a week for New England Patriots wide receiver Efton Chism III. He caught two passes on the team's final drive against the Buffalo Bills, which totaled 42 yards. Still, everyone, especially Bills safety CJ Gardner-Johnson, remembers the second of those two catches as Chism's one-handed grab in the end zone would be a major key to the Patriots' win.

Chism's catch turned heads around the league. However, Patriots fans know what this guy is made of because they've been seeing signs of it since the summer of 2025.

When practice footage emerged of an undrafted free agent with the speed, agility, and the short-area quickness of Julian Edelman, buzz began to build around Chism. Getting put into the starting rotation was going to be an uphill battle, though.

The game-defining catch in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills should, and just might, move some things around in the Patriots' wide receiver room that could favor the second-year undrafted free agent for the foreseeable future.

Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has noted that Chism is very versatile on the field and that he "knows a bunch of different spots," which allows him to move around a lot and exploit coverage spots where the offense can capitalize on short-yardage gains. Like the comparisons to Edelman, Chism could become a slot threat to defenses if offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels plans to use him that way.

The Patriots also have a banged-up wide receiver room. It will still be a few weeks until A.J. Brown returns to action; Mack Hollins remains optimistic he will play on Sunday, but that picture is still unclear.

Chism could see a lot more reps alongside Romeo Doubs, as well as Pop Douglas and Kyle Williams, who are both also looking for some breakout action in the upcoming games.

Quarterback Drake Maye also needs a reliable target out there. Maye's lack of confidence these last few weeks seems to be a thing of the past; to keep things going in the right direction, he'll need a target who has done big things for him. Right now, there's nobody bigger than Chism in that sense.

By Sunday, we will have a clearer answer as the Patriots take on the Raiders for a chance to get to 3-2 on the season.

While many want to write off his late-game score as a flash-in-the-pan moment, Chism is already shifting his focus to the Raiders, as he mentioned in a locker room interview on Wednesday. If his chemistry with Drake Maye continues to grow, opposing secondaries will have to learn his name—whether they want to or not. Chism didn’t just save the Patriots’ week; he might have launched his career.

Follow Tyler for more Patriots content

Check out the Patriots Roundtable Podcast and like and subscribe

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.