Former Second-Round Pick Named Patriots' Most Overpaid Player

The New England Patriots are not exactly short on cap space, but that does not mean that the franchise has not splashed out on a few players over the past few years.

Edge rusher Dre'Mont Jones signed a three year, $36.5 million deal with the organization, the team paid $42 million over the same time period for excellent but injury-prone guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, and former Green Bay Packers receiver Romeo Doubs received a whopping $17 million per year on a four year deal despite having never surpassed 750 yards in a single-season.

Yet, according to Bleacher Report, none of these new additions constitute New England's most overpaid player. Instead, writer Brad Gagnon asserts that former 2021 second-round draft pick defensive tackle Christian Barmore takes that prize.

"The interior defensive lineman show continues with Barmore, who has lacked both consistency and durability for much of his five-year run thus far in New England." Gagnon writes. "The 26-year-old is a solid piece of the puzzle for the Patriots, but he's yet to live up to a top-20 positional AAV at $20.8 million."

Christian Barmore Has Not Been the Same Since Signing An Extension

Barmore has done some good things whilst on the field, including a breakout 8.5-sack monster year in 2023 that saw him secure a four-year, $84 million deal that runs through 2028.

Since signing his big-money extension in 2024, Barmore has not been the same player. An injury-disrupted season in 2024 had him manage a total of just 6 combined tackles and one singular sack.

Yet when the physical issues abated and the 26-year old returned to the field in 2025, playing in every single game, staring all but one, Barmore's numbers took a dive from his prior levels of production in 2023.

He managed just 2 sacks and 29 combined tackles, recording an unimpressive 51.7 grade from Pro Football Focus on the year.

The good news for Barmore is that he will almost certainly have at least one more year to prove what he can do.

It will cost the Patriots $5.7 million in net dead cap to cut him prior to the start of next year, although New England can save $16.4 million by releasing him from his contract this time next year, something that is seeming more and more likely if his play does improve. So there is little doubt that 2026 will be a make-or-break year for Barmore's future with the organization.

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