Five linebackers gone, roughly $22 million saved or avoided. That is the arithmetic Heavy laid out on July 4, 2026, for a New England Patriots position group that no longer has the depth it carried into last season.
The names are Anfernee Jennings, Jahlani Tavai, Marte Mapu, Jack Gibbens and K’Lavon Chaisson. Part of the saving is real cap relief. Tavai’s release cleared about $1.73 million, per Spotrac, and Jennings’ release freed roughly $4 million. Trading Mapu took his $1.508 million salary off the books.
The rest is money the team simply chose not to spend. Gibbens signed with Arizona on a two-year, $7.5 million deal, with $4.475 million in 2026 cash due, according to Over The Cap. Chaisson went to Washington on a one-year contract worth $11 million, and Spotrac lists his 2026 cap hit at $11.47 million.
What the defense gave up
Savings have a price, and Heavy’s Duncan Day puts it plainly: less quality depth means a thinner defense. The cost matters because the run defense was good. New England allowed 1,729 rushing yards in the 2025 regular season, 4.2 yards per carry and 11 rushing touchdowns. TeamRankings.com had the Patriots sixth in the league at 99.2 rushing yards allowed per game, a big drop from 131.4 in 2024.
Robert Spillane was the clearest reason. Pro Football Focus gave him a 76.3 overall defensive grade in 2025, 12th among 88 qualified linebackers, and an 87.3 run-defense grade that ranked eighth at the position.
Beside him, Christian Elliss was useful but a step down. PFF graded Elliss 61.5 overall and 61.2 against the run, 60th among qualified linebackers. Asking him to anchor the run defense for a long stretch would be a lot.
One injury away
Sports Illustrated, in its 2026 Patriots linebacker preview, described the middle of the defense as “slim pickings.” ESPN’s depth chart lists Spillane and Elliss as the top inside linebackers, with K.J. Britt and Chad Muma behind them. Muma earned a 70.8 run-defense grade from PFF in 2025, and Britt has shown value as a physical early-down player. Neither offers Spillane’s certainty.
The front still has size. Christian Barmore, Milton Williams, Harold Landry and Dre’Mont Jones give Mike Vrabel a line with experience and edge-setting ability. If that group stays healthy and Spillane stays in the middle, Heavy argues, the run defense can remain a strength. The risk is a single injury at linebacker in November or December.
