Recently, a picture of a New England Patriots team plane picking up Americans in the Middle East began circulating. This immediately created a buzz on social media as people tried to surmise why their plane would be involved. A Patriots spokesperson revealed why their plane was used.
Why a New England Patriots Plane Was Used to Carry Americans from the Middle East
According to ABC News, a photo taken as Americans boarded a flight out of the Middle East included a Patriots-branded plane.
“The State Department has shared a photo of Americans in the Middle East boarding what appears to a New England Patriots team plane,” the caption of ABC News X post read.
The State Department has shared a photo of Americans in the Middle East boarding what appears to a New England Patriots team plane.
Read more: https://t.co/6JM7pivLH5 pic.twitter.com/EUtuqcxuhH
— ABC News (@ABC) March 6, 2026
While an NFL team plane, especially from a team that participated in Super Bowl 60, being used in this way may seem peculiar, David Rumsey of Front Office Sports provided an answer after speaking with a Patriots spokesperson.
Rumsey posted the full statement, which read as follows, “When not in use by the team during the season, our team planes are operated by a charter company that uses the planes in their inventory of aircraft for various charter flights.
“We encourage the charter company to use them for missions like this and other humanitarian and national interest type missions. There are occasions when the Kraft family uses the planes for other humanitarian missions, but the majority of team plane sightings come from these type of charter services.”
As mentioned, the Patriots played in Super Bowl 60, losing to the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13. In that game, second-year quarterback Drake Maye completed 27 of 43 passes for 295 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. He also ran 5 times for 37 yards. Across the season, he posted a PFSN QB Impact score of 91.1, which ranked second in the NFL, only behind San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (92.1).
In addition to the charter plane, the Patriots were also recently in the news for releasing their No. 1 wide receiver from last season, Stefon Diggs.
Following his release, PFSN’s Jacob Infante has reported that the Patriots plan to make a push for Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Alec Pierce.
The Patriots have plenty of work to do ahead of the 2026 season to get back into the spot they were in, especially as their division rivals, the Buffalo Bills, will head into next season with D.J. Moore as their No. 1 wide receiver after acquiring him, along with a fifth-round pick, from the Chicago Bears for a second-round pick.
Finishing as the runner-up for the 2025-26 season, the Patriots hold the No. 31 overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft.
With that pick, PFSN’s Ryan Moran, in his latest three-round mock draft, has them selecting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren to help shore up the back end of their defense, especially if they don’t re-sign Jaylinn Hawkins.
As for the other picks in the mock draft, which include picks No. 63 and No. 95, Moran slotted them with Clemson wide receiver Antonio Williams and Penn State offensive tackle Drew Shelton, respectively.
