New England Patriots
Barmore’s usage in 2026 is down across the board compared to 2025.
As the middle of the NFL regular season nears, so too does the NFL trade deadline. And after the Indianapolis Colts’ fire sale earlier in the week, trade rumors are now swirling for just about every franchise across the league.
Rumors about the Patriots potentially eyeing a trade for star running back Jonathan Taylor have floated about. And now, NFL insider Albert Breer has reported as part of his notes around the league that New England would be “open to” trading Christian Barmore at the deadline.
Barmore has seen his usage decrease from 2025 to 2026 in just about every meaningful category. He’s made fewer appearances on early downs, third downs, and in both passing and running situations, including a significant drop-off in his 2026 usage rate against the run (36 percent) compared to 2025 (62.8 percent).
When asked about his usage this week by The Boston Herald’s Doug Kyed, Barmore gave a candid answer.
“I mean, I do everything my coaches tell me to do,” Barmore said. “So you have to talk to my coaches about that.”
Barmore followed up the report of him being available with a GIF of a man smiling and laughing, and no other context.
That would suggest Barmore isn’t particularly happy with his standing in the lineup. So, perhaps a trade could be the best path forward for both sides.
The downtick in Barmore’s snap count may not have much to do with his individual production, but rather the plethora of resources the Patriots have on the defensive line. They’ve seen meaningful rotation reps from seven different linemen: Milton Williams, Barmore, Elijah Ponder, Cory Durden, Dre’Mont Jones, Gabe Jacas, and Joshua Farmer.
That’s not including DaQuan Jones and Leonard Taylor, who have also seen action, or Harold Landry, who hasn’t been activated off the PUP list quite yet.
Even as an above-average defensive lineman, Barmore hasn’t been able to distinguish himself from the rest of the group quite as much as he has in the past. Given that he’s a known commodity across the NFL, and that the Patriots are far thinner at other notable positions, it’s reasonable to see the potential of a trade out of Foxborough for Barmore.
It’s also notable that New England is up tight against the salary cap. That makes acquiring a player for draft picks alone nearly impossible. A returning player would be required in just about any deal Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf hope to make.
The Patriots take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 8 Sunday at 4:25 p.m. Eastern Time. The NFL trade deadline is 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
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