2025 New England Patriots season
The 2025 season is the New England Patriots' 56th in the National Football League, their 66th overall, their second under de facto general manager Eliot Wolf, their first under head coach Mike Vrabel, and their 12th Super Bowl appearance. The Patriots clinched their first winning season since 2021 with a Week 11 victory over the division rival [2025 2025 New York Jets season|New York Jets season|New York Jets], and guaranteed they would exceed their combined win total for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. With a Week 16 victory over the [2025 2025 Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens season|Baltimore Ravens], the Patriots made the playoffs for the first time since 2021 under Bill Belichick. Their Week 17 victory over the [2025 New York 2025 New York Jets season|Jets season|Jets], combined with a [2025 2025 Buffalo Bills season|Buffalo Bills season|Bills] loss that same week, gave the Patriots their first AFC East championship since 2019 and their first division championship without Tom Brady or Bill Belichick since 1997. Their Week 18 victory over the [2025 2025 Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins season|Miami Dolphins] tied them for the largest single-season turnaround in NFL history, at 10 games. The Patriots earned the No. 2 seed, finishing tied with the [2025 2025 Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos season|Denver Broncos] for the No. 1 seed; however, Denver earned the No. 1 seed based on the common opponents tiebreaker.
This season began with the Patriots' third head coach in as many seasons following the dismissal of first-year head coach Jerod Mayo after the final game of the 2024 season. Patriots Hall of Fame inductee Mike Vrabel, who played for the team from 2001 to 2008, was hired as the franchise's 16th head coach on January 12. Before coaching New England, Vrabel was head coach of the Tennessee Titans from 2018 to 2023.
With the retirement of center David Andrews and the release of long snapper Joe Cardona, linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley, defensive end Deatrich Wise, cornerback Jonathan Jones, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett, this is the Patriots' first season since 1992 that their roster had no players who won, or would go on to win, a Super Bowl with the Patriots. Their.824 winning percentage was their best since their Super Bowl LI-winning 2016 season, making them the first NFL team since the 1999 Indianapolis Colts to suffer two consecutive seasons with 13 losses and win 13 or more games in the third. This is also their first season with 10 consecutive wins since 2015, and their first with both a 4,000 yard passer and 1,000 yard receiver since 2019. In addition, the 2025 Patriots had the second easiest schedule since league realignment in 2002; its historically low strength of schedule was.391 and the team played only three regular-season games against opponents that finished with winning records. These were the Pittsburgh Steelers once and [2025 Buffalo 2011 Buffalo Bills season|Bills season|Buffalo Bills] twice. They became the first team in NFL history to finish 9–0 on the road.
In the postseason, the Patriots faced the [2025 2025 Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers season|Los Angeles Chargers] in the Wild Card Round, winning with a score of 16–3. It would be their first playoff victory since Super Bowl LIII. The following week, they went up against the [2025 2025 Houston Texans season|Houston Texans season|Houston Texans] in the Divisional Round, winning with a 28–16 score. Following that, the Patriots traveled to Denver for the AFC Championship, defeating the [2025 Denver 2025 Denver Broncos season|Broncos season|Broncos] with a score of 10–7. It would be their first postseason victory both on the road and in the conference championship since 2018. The Patriots became the first team in NFL history to defeat three top-five ranked defenses in a single postseason. They are also the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after losing 13 or more games the previous season. They are set to play the [2025 2025 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle Seahawks] in Super Bowl LX.
Roster changes
Free agency
Signings/waiver claims
| Position | Player | Previous team | Date signed | Contract |
| OLB | Harold Landry | [2024 2024 Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans season|Tennessee Titans] | March 12, 2025 | 3 years, $43.5 million |
| CB | Carlton Davis | [2024 Detroit 2025 Detroit Lions season|Lions season|Detroit Lions] | March 13, 2025 | 3 years, $54 million |
| OT | Morgan Moses | New York Jets | March 13, 2025 | 3 years, $24 million |
| ILB | Robert Spillane | Las Vegas Raiders | March 13, 2025 | 3 years, $33 million |
| DT | Milton Williams | Philadelphia Eagles | March 13, 2025 | 4 years, $104 million |
| S | Marcus Epps | Las Vegas Raiders | March 14, 2025 | 1 year, $2.025 million |
| WR | Mack Hollins | Buffalo Bills | March 14, 2025 | 2 years, $8.4 million |
| NT | Khyiris Tonga | Arizona Cardinals | March 14, 2025 | 1 year, $2.1 million |
| OLB | K'Lavon Chaisson | Las Vegas Raiders | March 17, 2025 | 1 year, $3.0 million |
| G | Wes Schweitzer | New York Jets | March 17, 2025 | 1 year, $1.55 million |
| QB | Joshua Dobbs | San Francisco 49ers | March 18, 2025 | 2 years, $8.0 million |
| C | Garrett Bradbury | Minnesota Vikings | March 19, 2025 | 2 years, $9.5 million |
| LB | Jack Gibbens | Tennessee Titans | March 19, 2025 | 1 year, $1.3 million |
| WR | Stefon Diggs | Houston Texans | March 28, 2025 | 3 years, $63.5 million |
| DT | Isaiah Iton | Tennessee Titans | May 12, 2025 | 1 year, $840,000 |
| RB | Trayveon Williams | [2023 2023 Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals season|Cincinnati Bengals] | May 14, 2025 | 1 year, $1.17 million |
| OT | Yasir Durant | DC Defenders | June 24, 2025 | 1 year, $1.03 million |
| DT | David Olajiga | Los Angeles Rams | July 20, 2025 | 1 year, $840,000 |
| TE | Tyler Davis | Green Bay Packers | July 30, 2025 | 1 year, $1.1 million |
| TE | Cole Fotheringham | Denver Broncos | July 30, 2025 | 1 year, $840,000 |
| C | Alec Lindstrom | [2025 Memphis Tigers football|Memphis Showboats season|Memphis Showboats] | July 30, 2025 | 1 year, $960,000 |
| CB | Tre Avery | San Francisco 49ers | August 5, 2025 | 1 year, $1.1 million |
| RB | Deneric Prince | Memphis Showboats | August 10, 2025 | 1 year, $960,000 |
| NT | Kyle Peko | Detroit Lions | August 11, 2025 | 1 year, $1.255 million |
| QB | Tommy DeVito | New York Giants | August 27, 2025 | 1 year, $1.03 million |
| CB | Charles Woods | Los Angeles Rams | August 27, 2025 | 1 year, $960,000 |
Trades
- March 12 – Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux was traded to the [2025 2025 New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints season|New Orleans Saints] in exchange for a 2026 seventh-round selection.
- April 3 – Quarterback Joe Milton III and a 2025 seventh-round selection were traded to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round selection.
- September 13 – Wide receiver Ja'Lynn Polk and a 2028 seventh-round selection were traded to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick.
- October 29 – Defensive end Keion White and a 2026 seventh-round selection were traded to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
- October 30 – Safety Kyle Dugger and a 2026 seventh-round selection were traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for a 2026 sixth-round pick.
Draft
| Round | Selection | Player | Position | College | Notes |
| 1 | 4 | Will Campbell | OT | LSU | |
| 2 | 38 | TreVeyon Henderson | RB | Ohio State | |
| 3 | 69 | Kyle Williams | WR | Washington State | |
| 3 | 95 | Jared Wilson | C | Georgia | From Chiefs |
| 4 | 106 | Craig Woodson | S | California | |
| 4 | 137 | Joshua Farmer | DT | Florida State | From [2025 2025 Seattle Seahawks season|Seattle 2025 Seattle Seahawks season|Seahawks season|Seahawks] |
| 5 | 146 | Bradyn Swinson | DE | LSU | From [2025 2025 Carolina Panthers season|Carolina Panthers season|Carolina] |
| 6 | 182 | Andrés Borregales | K | Miami | From Jaguars via Lions |
| 7 | 220 | Marcus Bryant | OT | Missouri | |
| 7 | 251 | Julian Ashby | LS | Vanderbilt | From Chiefs |
| 7 | 257 | Kobee Minor | CB | Memphis | From Chiefs |
| 7 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 7 | - | - | - | - | - |
| Name | Position | College | Ref. |
| Cole Birdow | OT | Merrimack | |
| Demeer Blankumsee | WR | Memphis | |
| Efton Chism | WR | Eastern Washington | |
| Jack Conley | OG | Boston College | |
| Brandon Crossley | CB | SMU | |
| CJ Dippre | TE | Alabama | |
| Brock Lampe | FB | Northern Illinois | |
| Lan Larison | RB | UC Davis | |
| Josh Minkins | S | Cincinnati | |
| Jordan Polk | CB | Texas State | |
| Elijah Ponder | LB | Cal Poly | |
| Cam Riley | LB | Florida State | |
| Jahvaree Ritzie | DT | North Carolina | |
| Gee Scott Jr. | TE | Ohio State | |
| Jeremiah Webb | WR | South Alabama | |
| Ben Wooldridge | QB | Louisiana | |
| Mehki Butler | OG | Arkansas State | |
| Wilfried Pene | DT | Virginia Tech | |
| R.J. Moten | LB | Florida | |
| Bryce Ganious | DT | Wake Forest | |
| Jereme Robinson | DE | Kansas | |
| Shane Watts | RB | Fort Hays State | |
| Phil Lutz | WR | Delaware | |
| Micah Bernard | RB | Utah | |
| Philip Blidi | DT | Auburn |
'''Draft trades'''
Preseason
On August 8, prior to the team's first preseason game, the statue of Tom Brady was unveiled outside of Gillette Stadium, with Tom Brady in attendance.| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Recap |
| 1 | Washington Commanders | W 48–18 | 1–0 | Gillette Stadium | ||
| 2 | at Minnesota Vikings | W 20–12 | 2–0 | U.S. Bank Stadium | ||
| 3 | at New York Giants | L 10–42 | 2–1 | MetLife Stadium |
Regular season
Schedule
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.Game summaries
Week 1: vs. Las Vegas Raiders
This was the Pats' first home loss to the Raiders since 1994, and fifth consecutive season losing their home opener.This was the third time they lost to the Raiders since 2022.
Week 2: at Miami Dolphins
With their first win in Miami since 2019 the Patriots improved to 1–1 and they got their first win over Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. It was also the first time the Patriots scored more than 30 points since Week 6 of the 2022 season.Week 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Patriots committed five turnovers in their loss to the Steelers, falling to 1–2 and suffering their first home defeat to Pittsburgh since the 2008 season.In addition, it was New England's first loss to the Steelers since 2018, snapping a three game win streak against them.
Week 4: vs. Carolina Panthers
With a convincing win over the Carolina Panthers, which also the most points the team scored since 2021, the Patriots improved to 2–2 on the season while securing their first home win of the season and first win at home against the Panthers since 2009.Week 5: at Buffalo Bills
With their final win at Highmark Stadium, the Patriots secured back-to-back wins for the first time since 2022, as well as their second straight win over the Bills who were the last undefeated team in the NFL, to improve to 3–2, their best start through five games since 2019.Unfortunately for the Patriots, Antonio Gibson would be lost for the season with an ACL tear.
Week 6: at New Orleans Saints
With their first win over New Orleans since 2017, the Patriots secure their first three-game win streak since 2022 to improve to 4–2, matching their win total from each of the preceding two seasons. The Falcons win over Buffalo on Monday would give New England their first division lead since 2021.Week 7: at Tennessee Titans
This game was head coach Mike Vrabel's first return to Tennessee since the Titans fired him after the 2023 season. With their first win in Nashville since 2012, the Patriots improved their record to 5–2, surpassing their win totals from both the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Mike Vrabel became the first head coach in Patriots history to win his first four road games.Week 8: vs. Cleveland Browns
Despite surrendering five sacks to Myles Garrett, the most the team has given up to one player in franchise history, the Patriots were able to defeat the Browns for the 6th time since 2013. With their 7th home victory against Cleveland since 1995, the Patriots secured their 5th straight win to improve to 6–2.Week 9: vs. Atlanta Falcons
With their 9th victory over Atlanta since 2001, the Patriots improved to 3–0 against the NFC South and tied the Broncos and Colts for the best record in the NFL at 7–2.Week 10: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
With their seventh straight win, the Patriots improved to 8–2 and swept an NFC division for the first time since sweeping the NFC East in 2019. This was also the first time the Patriots swept the NFC South.Week 11: vs. New York Jets
With their 8th straight win, longest since 2019, the Patriots improved to 9–2 for the first time since 2017 and 3–0 against the AFC East, while also securing their first winning season since 2021. The Patriots extended their winning streak against their fellow AFC East teams at home to three games, winning streak against their fellow AFC East teams regardless of location to four games, and both their home and overall winning streak against the Jets to two games.Week 12: at Cincinnati Bengals
With their 9th straight win, the Patriots improved to 10–2 record, as well as a 2–1 record against the AFC North. The Patriots also extended their winning streak on the road to 6 games while also securing their 3rd road win in Cincinnati since 2019.Week 13: vs. New York Giants
With their 10th straight win, their longest win streak since 2015, the Patriots improved to 11–2 their best record through 13 games since 2016, and they finished 5–0 against the NFC entering their bye. The Patriots also became the first team since the 1999 Colts to have a 10 game win streak after a 13 loss season. This was also their first win in the Pat Patriot uniforms since Week 5 of the 2022 season, officially snapping a six-game losing streak in them.Week 15: vs. Buffalo Bills
With an opportunity to clinch the AFC East title for the first time since 2019 by defeating the Bills, the Patriots built a 21–0 lead and held a 24–7 lead at halftime. However, despite a strong running game, New England was outscored 28–7 in the second half as Drake Maye was held under 200 passing yards for the first time all season. With their first loss since Week 3, New England’s 10-game winning streak was snapped, and the team fell to 11–3 overall and 3–1 in the AFC East marking both the 6th straight year they failed to sweep the Bills & 13th straight year they failed to sweep the AFC East.The 21-point blown lead was their largest since a similar instance in which they lost a 21-point first-half lead against the Bills during the 2011 season. Their 21-point lead was the largest the Pats had squandered at home since 1978. The loss also snapped the Patriots’ 120-game home winning streak when leading by 17 or more points, the longest streak in NFL history.
Week 16: at Baltimore Ravens
At the end of the half, Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson was taken out of the game with a back injury and was later ruled out. In the fourth quarter, Ravens running back Derrick Henry rushed for a touchdown to give the Ravens a 24–13 lead. Drake Maye then rallied the Patriots, throwing two touchdown passes to give New England a 28–24 lead. On Baltimore’s next drive, Ravens wide receiver Zay Flowers fumbled, and the Patriots ran out the clock to secure the win.With the win, the Patriots improved to 12–3, finishing 3–1 against the AFC North, and clinched their first playoff berth since 2021.
Week 17: at New York Jets
With their first sweep over the Jets since 2022, the Patriots improved to 13–3 and finished 8–0 on the road for the third time in franchise history.In addition, Philadelphia's 13–12 win over Buffalo later that day resulted in the Patriots clinching the AFC East for the first time since 2019.