Could Patriots Trade Christian Barmore, One of Their Longest-Tenured Starters?

With the NFL trade dealine looming over NFL facilities, front offices across the league are in abundant contact with one another to either revamp their rosters or gain capital for upcoming seasons.

The success of this year's 4-3 New England Patriots leaves them as a team that is likely to acquire players rather than move on from some. However, there is a player the Patriots could move that would make sense for the construction of New England's roster.

On Wednesday, Albert Breer reported that the Patriots could make defensive tackle Christian Barmore available for trade.

Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore is available for trade.

Per: @AlbertBreer pic.twitter.com/igjLF2tVPm
— Savage (@Savageboston) October 30, 2026

In the mass of injuries New England has sustained in the first seven weeks of the 2026 season, one position group that's been nearly unaffected by injuries is the defensive tackle unit. This solid group leaves Barmore as a liable trade peice that can be used to upgrade another position or build draft capital for future seasons.

Why Should Patriots Move On From Christian Barmore?

Drafted in the second round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Barmore has been a centerpiece of New England's defensive rebuild in the post-Tom Brady era.

Barmore has delivered on all fronts for the high-value investment the Patriots' previous front office made on him. Prior to 2026, Barmore had four dominant seasons (he missed most of 2024 due to blood clots), where he racked up 162 tackles and 14.5 sacks in 61 games.

Sep 20, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) is defended by Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Troy Fautanu (76) in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, Barmore's had a slower start to 2026, and has been overshadowed in the past two seasons by free agent signing Milton Williams. Despite his three sacks, the 27-year-old has been limited to just six tackles on the season. Last year, Barmore had just 29 tackles, his least amount in a season where he played every game.

In 2026, Barmore — who is the longest tenured defensive player on New England's roster — has only played 41.9% of snaps in the season. This percentage is third most at his position, behind Williams (67.8%) and Cory Durden (50%).

The list of remaining Patriots who played for Bill Belichick:

• Christian Gonzalez (2023)
• DeMario Douglas (2023)
• Marcus Jones (2022-23)
• Rhamondre Stevenson (2021-23)
• Brenden Schooler (2022-23)
• Christian Elliss (2023)
• Mike Onwenu (2020-23)
• Hunter Henry…
— Ethan Hurwitz (@HurwitzSports) October 26, 2026

Overpaying the Position

Over the next two seasons, Barmore is set to make $48.2 million with an average cap hit of $24.1 million in each season. Williams will also be a large cap expenditure, as he is set to earn an average of $30.5 million from 2027-28.

Oct 19, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; New England Patriots defensive end Milton Williams (97) celebrates the sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Cameron Ward (1) with defensive tackle Christian Barmore (90) during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If the roster stays the same in 2028, New England will have to pay a combined $98 million to Christian Gonzalez, A.J. Brown, Williams, and Barmore. That value is expected to be a quarter of the Patriots salary cap in 2028 (salary cap figures aren't announced until the months prior to that season).

While Barmore is being paid like a top defensive linemen, his production shows that he's not as valuable as his contract suggests. And defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr's decision to play Barmore less than other defensive tackles leaves him as a cap space liability.

I asked Patriots DT Christian Barmore about his reduced role earlier this week. He paused for a few seconds before saying, "I mean, I do everything my coaches tell me to do, so you got to talk to coaches about that."

Here are some numbers that illustrate that reduced role:

2026… https://t.co/nvfc3CMEII
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) October 30, 2026

If the Patriots choose to upgrade at any other position like guard or wide receiver before the November 10 trade deadline, then Barmore may be a valuable piece to lower the price of their payment.

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