The New England Patriots enjoyed an epic turnaround during the 2025 NFL season, making it all the way to the Super Bowl after going 4-13 in the year before. They are now in a position to potentially go all in on being contenders again in the upcoming campaign. One way they could do so is by targeting one of the top overall free agents.
Patriots Predicted to Make a Major Splash in 2026 NFL Free Agency
The Patriots quickly turned things around during last offseason, hiring Mike Vrabel to take over as their head coach. They supplemented the move by adding several top free agents, and they may be in the market for another this year.
All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson will reportedly become a free agent this year as his contract with the Cincinnati Bengals is expiring. Gilberto Manzano recently outlined his current outlook and speculated about the contract he will receive.
“It will be interesting to see whether teams will look to heavily invest in a talented edge rusher on the wrong side of 30. Also, Hendrickson, 31, only played in seven games in his ninth season due to injuries. But the numbers don’t lie,” explained Manzano.
“He’s still a dominant force when healthy. Hendrickson, who has 39 sacks combined over the past three seasons, could see a short-term deal from a Super Bowl contender that averages more than $35 million per season.”
Hendrickson has finished 16th or better in PFSN’s Impact Rankings among all edge rushers in each of the past three years. Two seasons ago represented the best of his career, when he was picked for his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl, selected as an All-Pro for the first time, and finished as the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award.
The star pass rusher has also totaled 39 sacks across the past three seasons, so he is likely to be a top free agent target this year amid his rumored departure from the Bengals.
The Patriots make sense as a potential landing spot, given their money to spend, in the absence of a premier edge player on their roster.
Manzano predicted a contract for Hendrickson worth $105 million across three seasons. This would place him among the top ten highest-paid edge defenders in the NFL based on AAV. His age is a bit of a risk, but it could be worth it for the Patriots, given their overall situation.
