Harold Landry III isn’t one to make excuses. But as the New England Patriots linebacker heads into the offseason, he’s made it clear-he’s got some work to do on a knee that never quite let him be himself this season.
The veteran pass rusher has been battling a lingering knee injury since Week 6, when the Patriots faced the New Orleans Saints. It’s been a quiet undercurrent to his season-one that didn’t keep him off the field until the AFC Championship Game, but certainly impacted how he moved and how often he could unleash the full extent of his pass-rushing arsenal.
"I'm going to get my knee right, and we're going to get right back to it," Landry said recently, signaling that surgery could be on the table this offseason.
Despite the injury, Landry still found ways to make an impact. He finished the year with 27 combined tackles and led the team with 8.5 sacks-numbers that speak to both his resilience and his importance to a defense that leaned heavily on his ability to generate pressure. His absence in the AFC title game against Denver was felt, especially as the Patriots struggled to get consistent heat on the Broncos’ quarterback.
Landry did manage to suit up for Super Bowl LX, gutting it out on the biggest stage despite clearly not being at full strength. It was a testament to his toughness, but also a reminder of just how much more dangerous he could be when healthy.
This is a player who’s been to the Pro Bowl, who’s proven he can be a game-changer off the edge. If he can get that knee fully right over the next few months, the Patriots could be getting back one of their most disruptive defenders just in time for offseason workouts. And that could make a big difference for a team looking to reload and return to the top of the AFC.
There’s still a long road between now and training camp, but Landry’s mindset is exactly where it needs to be. Fix the knee.
Get right. Come back stronger.
If he does, the Patriots' defense could be looking at a major boost in 2026.