The Patriots have spent years learning the hard way what happens when a team waits too long to help its quarterback. That frustration started in the final Tom Brady seasons, when Bill Belichick’s attempt to patch up the offense never felt nearly big enough, and it carried through the years that followed, even after Brady left.
Now, though, New England looks like a different operation. The team signed Stefon Diggs to pair with Drake Maye in Mike Vrabel’s first season, and this offseason brought an even louder statement with a trade for A.J.
Brown. That kind of aggression changes the conversation around what the Patriots might chase next.
And that’s where Justin Jefferson enters the picture.
A new prediction from SB Nation’s Jarrett Bailey has Jefferson becoming unhappy in Minnesota during the 2026 season, opening the door for a possible trade request next offseason. Bailey’s forecast comes as part of 61 predictions ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and it centers on a rough Vikings start and uncertainty at quarterback.
“After a 3-5 start, culminating with a Monday night loss to the Bills the night before the trade deadline, there are loud whispers that Justin Jefferson may want out of Minnesota.
The trade deadline comes and goes without him being moved, but the narrative for the remainder of the season is if this will be the last year of Jefferson in a Vikings uniform.”
The quarterback situation in Minnesota is part of what makes the idea plausible in the first place. J.J.
McCarthy and Kyler Murray are in a battle with no clear starter, and neither is viewed as the most talented option. For a receiver of Jefferson’s caliber, that kind of uncertainty could become exhausting fast.
Jefferson is still just 27 and hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down. In 2025, he posted his sixth straight 1,000-plus yard season. If the Vikings ever did decide to listen, the return would be massive, especially with no franchise quarterback locked in.
That’s why the Patriots would almost certainly check in if Jefferson ever became available. Eliot Wolf would have every reason to ask what a deal would cost, and Vrabel and Wolf would be foolish not to explore it seriously. Even with Brown already on the roster, the idea of Brown and Jefferson together is the kind of thing that instantly changes a passing game.
It would take a huge package to pry Jefferson loose, and Minnesota would have to get comfortable with the idea of moving a player who has been one of the league’s true stars. But recent NFL history has shown that no name is completely untouchable. The Browns trading Myles Garrett to the Rams earlier this summer proved that much.
So while a Jefferson trade still sounds extreme, it is no longer something Patriots fans have to dismiss outright. If the whispers Bailey described ever start to build, New England should be ready to pounce.
In Other News...
Patriots Camp Just Sent A Troubling Message About The Receiver Battle
Training camp has only just opened, but the Patriots are already making the kind of roster moves that tend to tell you where the real battles are. New England claimed rookie wide receiver Kobe Prentice off waivers from the Panthers, a move that came with a corresponding release of first-year offensive lineman Sebastian Gutierrez, and the team also added tight end Jeremiah Franklin and Gabe Jacas as it continued sorting through the early camp mix.
For a receiver group trying to establish itself under Mike Vrabels staff, the timing matters. The Patriots have been busy with fan events, practice sessions and a round of press conferences from Vrabel and team executives, yet the more revealing news has come in the personnel churn around the bottom of the roster. Adding Prentice gives the group another young name to watch, and the fact that New England felt the need to keep adjusting the board this early suggests the competition at receiver is already getting tighter than anyone would prefer. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Camp Just Dropped An Early Roster Clue Fans Will Obsess Over
Mondays training camp walkthrough gave a quieter look at the Patriots roster picture after two faster-paced practices, but even in a lighter session, a few pecking orders stood out. Lan Larison kept working as the third running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, which is the kind of early camp detail that usually matters more than the drill itself.
At receiver, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III continue to rotate in the fight for what appears to be the next depth opening behind the established top options. The tight end group is also worth watching, with Tanner Arkin getting meaningful reps as the Patriots sort through the fallout from Julian Hills season-ending injury and try to settle on who can handle the next layer of the depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Romeo Doubs Is Already Facing Pressure In Patriots Camp
Romeo Doubs arrived in New England with a chance to carve out a real role, but the early returns in camp have been uneven. Through offseason workouts and the first two training camp practices, the receiver has looked like he is still getting comfortable in Josh McDaniels offense, with route adjustments and the timing of reads still a work in progress as he tries to settle in alongside Drake Maye.
The bigger issue for Doubs is that the competition around him is not standing still. DeMario Douglas has been handling the slot work, Kayshon Boutte has looked ahead of him on the boundary, and the Patriots have not even reached padded practices yet, which means the pace is only going to pick up from here. With preseason games approaching, Doubs has time to close the gap, but he also has to show he can turn a slow start into something more convincing before the depth chart hardens. [Read more 🡒]