Patriots Want To Improve Major Part of Offense Next Season

The New England Patriots had a successful season running the football in 2025. But their moves in free agency signaled an interest to improve in that department.

In the first week of signing players, the Patriots brought in left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker, fullback Reggie Gilliam and tight end Julian Hill to help in the running game. Speaking to reporters at the NFL Annual Meetings in Arizona, head coach Mike Vrabel spoke about what his expectations are for the team's running game in 2026.

"I just want to be more consistent," Vrabel said. "We, the Patriots, want to be more consistent running the football."

Last season, the Patriots were one of the league's top running offenses. They ran the ball 494 times for 2,191 yards, each of those ranking sixth-best in the NFL. Their 22 rushing touchdowns were the fourth-most in the league, and Rhamondre Stevenson ran for seven scores -- tying his career high.

But the NFL remains a passing league, and when the Patriots run the ball, they want to have it be more consistent.

Patriots' FA Moves Signal Expectations

"It isn’t like we’re going to run it every single play," Vrabel said. "It’s just that I felt like there were too many times where we wanted to run it, and it was just inefficient. Now we popped some, which were great. We had some explosives."

Bringing in Gilliam to be the team's next fullback can help string some explosive plays together. The star comes over from Buffalo after putting together a productive career since signing as an undrafted free agent.

Buffalo Bills fullback Reggie Gilliam — Bills fullback Reggie Gilliam heads for the end zone and a touchdown against the Titans. | JAMIE GERMANO / USA TODAY NETWORK

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has a long history with utilizing fullbacks in his offense. While the success on the ground helped the Patriots in the regular season, struggles in the postseason became evident. Bad weather didn't help, but it was tough sledding for New England in the playoffs

Gilliam hopes to be a key piece of paving the way for Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.

"He's had a history with fullbacks and he loves a true, vicious style player," Gilliam told reporters at Gillette Stadium after signing a three-year deal. "The physicality has been being preached ever since I walked into this building. So I'm excited for it."

The Patriots' offense will continue to operate as an elite passing attack, as long as Drake Maye remains under center. But if the running game continues to improve, New England should be a tough team to stop.

“It’s a tough league if you have to sit there and drop back and throw the football as much as we did in the last game of the season," Vrabel said.

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