The New England Patriots haven’t had a quiet moment since their Super Bowl 60 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They released star receiver Stefon Diggs, and the ongoing fallout from photographs of head coach Mike Vrabel and Dianna Russini at an Arizona resort have combined to create one of the noisiest offseasons in recent franchise history.
Many around the league now expect New England to take a step back from its success last season, and Super Bowl champion Aqib Talib is among the loudest voices in that camp.
Mike Vrabel-Dianna Russini Scandal Could Have an Effect on the Patriots’ Season
The Vrabel-Russini situation first surfaced on April 7, when Page Six published photographs of the two holding hands and embracing at a Sedona resort. Russini then resigned from The Athletic, while Vrabel stepped away from the team to seek counseling, and missed the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The NFL declined to investigate under its personal conduct policy, and the Patriots publicly backed their coach. Vrabel has since returned to the building, and the noise has quieted over the past few weeks as the team shifts its focus to OTAs and the potential A.J. Brown trade from Philadelphia. However, one new development or leaked detail could reignite the entire conversation heading into training camp.
When Talib was asked on “The Arena: Gridiron” to name a team that could take a step back in 2026, he didn’t hesitate and picked the Patriots.
“I don’t know if their record is going to be just like terrible, but I just think that the AFC North and AFC West are going to be so good that it’s going to be tough for them to make the playoffs,” Talib said. “I’mma go with the Patriots, a lot of drama. I think the AFC East is only sending one team this year, and it’s going to be the Bills.”
Talib then talked about how the Patriots losing players like Diggs, Khyiris Tonga, and K’Lavon Chaisson will hurt them. He also mentioned that the Patriots played a lot of bad teams last year because of their easy schedule, and that won’t be the case this year.
“Like this year, sh*t y’all got the AFC West and the AFC North, and y’all got the three first-place teams,” he added. “That’s Seattle, that’s Jacksonville, that’s the Steelers. So, it ain’t going to be a cupcake schedule like last year, man. It’s going to be a different ball game. That schedule looks totally different this year.”
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He did leave the door open for New England to save its season, noting that if the Patriots land Brown from Philadelphia, they could still compete for the AFC East crown. However, he firmly believes that as of now, the Bills are in the position to win the division.
Buffalo’s offseason moves support that argument. The Bills traded for veteran wide receiver DJ Moore from the Chicago Bears, giving Josh Allen an established target alongside their existing weapons. They also signed Bradley Chubb, adding a pass rusher who recorded 8.5 sacks in 2025 despite coming off a torn ACL the previous year.
Even if Brown eventually lands in Foxborough, the Patriots will need to hit the ground running against a schedule that opens with four opponents who won 10 or more games last season.
According to PFSN’s QB Impact Metric, Drake Maye posted an impact score of 90.9 last season, ranking second in the league. For the Patriots to take the next step, their quarterback will need to continue playing like a top-five quarterback, as he did last season.
