New England Patriots
Kyle Pitts could give New England a dynamic pass-catching option for Drake Maye.
Kyle Pitts reeled in nearly 90 catches in 2025 with Atlanta. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
Just a few weeks after the Patriots’ flatlining offense reared its head in a lopsided Super-Bowl loss to Seattle, it should come as little surprise that New England’s initial offseason musings have revolved around upgrades across the team’s offensive depth chart.
Beyond questions over New England’s offensive line, the writing has been on the wall that the Patriots need to add another top weapon or two to Drake Maye’s pass-catching arsenal moving forward — especially given the lack of separation that the Patriots’ wideouts were able to achieve against sticky secondaries during postseason action.
You’ve heard plenty of the names already. Pricey free-agent targets like Alec Pierce or Wan’Dale Robinson would represent an upgrade — but would also significantly cut into New England’s cap space.
Pierce, for example, is projected to land a contract with an annual cap hit of $25.5 million — per The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.
A trade for a proven veteran like A.J. Brown would cost both draft capital and cap space to accommodate his significant contract.
Of course, those steep prices will be well worth it if the Patriots give Maye another dynamic option to turn to during critical stretches in 2026 and beyond.
But if Eliot Wolf, Ryan Cowden, Mike Vrabel and the rest of the Patriots’ top brass are looking to get creative this offseason, could the tight-end market present the best path for New England to upgrade its offensive personnel?
It feels evident that the Patriots’ tight-end room is due for some change in the coming months. Austin Hooper is set to be a free agent, while a reliable target in Hunter Henry isn’t getting any younger at 31 years old.
A free-agent target like Isaiah Likely — a former Everett High School standout — has drawn some attention beyond his local ties as a potential red-zone target in New England.
But if New England is on the prowl for a true dynamic pass-catcher, the top tight end on the market in Kyle Pitts would make plenty of sense if the Falcons don’t hit him with a franchise tag.
The fourth-overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts didn’t exactly live up to the initial hype as a true transformative weapon after tormenting SEC defenses during his collegiate days at Florida.
That sentiment changed in 2025.
The 25-year-old Pitts was one of the more impactful players at his position across the NFL this past year — earning Second Team All-Pro honors after reeling in 88 catches for 928 yards and five touchdowns.
On a Patriots team that didn’t exactly boast an offensive personnel chock full of twitchy, explosive athletes capable of breaking tackles and gaining yards after the catch, the 6-foot-6 Pitts would be a welcome addition.
Pitts wouldn’t necessarily be the answer when it comes to New England’s desire to add a proven blocker to their tight-end grouping. But the tape speaks for itself when it comes to Pitts’ ability to reel in deep passes, move the chains off crossers, and serve as a matchup nightmare for linebackers and defensive backs.
Rather than allocate over $23-25 million in cap space for a wideout like Pierce or Brown, Pitts might also be a more affordable option — given that New England has plenty of other areas to shore up this offseason as it tries to build off of last year’s breakout campaign.
The Athletic’s free-agent projections have Pitts in line for a four-year, $70 million contract — equating to a more manageable $17.5 million cap hit if the Patriots could get him to sign on the dotted line.
The Patriots will welcome any sort of offseason pickup that can stretch the field and add more playmaking potential to an already explosive offense.
Pitts definitely fits that bill.
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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