Efton Chism Knew Importance of Patriots Opportunity

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Against the New York Jets, New England Patriots' wide receiver Efton Chism III recorded his first NFL touchdown.
The 10-yarder from quarterback Drake Maye was short right and resulted in a solid catch, with the following extra point kick from Andy Borregales being good. It moved the score to 42-3 over the Jets, which would become a 42-10 final. This touchdown from Chism came after the slot wide receiver recorded his first career reception in the first quarter, a 30-yarder up the middle. The pass from Maye at the start of the matchup would also allow the QB to cross the 4,000 passing yard mark on the season.
Entering play against the Jets at MetLife Stadium, Chism had logged 16 kickoff returns for 383 yards across six regular-season games.
Chism's first career TD would also give Maye five touchdown passes on the afternoon game. It set a new franchise record for the most receivers with a score.
Efton Chism III Recognizes Importance of Taking Advantage of Every Route
Chism was undrafted by the Patriots and head coach Mike Vrabel after his collegiate years at Eastern Washington. The slot WR was placed on the AP All-American First Team and All-Big Sky First Team. He concluded his college years with 3,852 receiving yards and 37 career touchdowns.
Week 17 was expected to be a big matchup for Chism due to the current injury status of other Patriots' receivers. Teammate Mack Hollins has been placed on injured reserve due to an abdominal issue.
Chism's touchdown is a moment he will surely never forget; it occurred at the 8:16 mark of the third quarter.
WELCOME TO THE @NFL EFTON CHISM!@DrakeMaye2 | @EftonChism
— x - New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 28, 2025
📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/jwQAlOhwQJ
In the preseason, Chism caught for 121 yards across 12 receptions, also scoring two touchdowns.
Chism was raised with a strong sense of discipline paired with morals and values. His father — Efton Chism II — is a Marine Corps veteran and his mother and older sister — Kristy and Camille — are both educators.
For Chism, he has said that the key to his success is taking advantage of every opportunity he has been given.
"You've got to find all these little details and find something that separates yourself from other people to get you on the field, and to then take advantage of those opportunities," Chism previously told New England Patriots On SI in an exclusive.
Other undrafted players who saw success with the New England franchise include David Andrews, Malcolm Butler and Wes Welker. As a result, the fanfare for Chism has been at an all-time high.
Chism stands at 5-foot-10 and weighs 198 pounds, while being the next budding undrafted star for the Pats.
Prior to the conclusion of play against the Jets, the Patriots recently secured a playoff berth thanks to a 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Chism and New England are now in contention for their seventh Super Bowl title.
According to the Patriots' box score, the conclusion of play in East Rutherford saw New England finish with a total team receiving yards of 286 and five passing touchdowns, 40 of these yards and one touchdown were from Chism.
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Jennifer Streeter graduated with a B.A. in journalism from Texas A&M and received her Master of Science from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism. At both schools, she focused on an emphasis of sports reporting. A former athlete herself, "Jenny" was a varsity soccer player and comes from a family who participated in NCAA athletics. She has covered everything from the 2025 Hughes Bowl, SEC football, Ivy League athletics, the 2023 ALCS and the 2023 World Series, the WNBA, and much more.
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