When Mike Vrabel took over as the Patriots’ head coach, there was a natural belief that his past connections could help New England fill some holes. That’s exactly how the team ended up leaning on familiar faces from Tennessee last offseason, including linebacker Harold Landry III.
Vrabel drafted Landry in his first season with the Titans, and the Patriots saw a player who could help lead a thin pass rush. He wasn’t brought in as a superstar edge menace, but the fit made sense given the roster’s needs. Landry ended up delivering, too, finishing with a team-high 8.5 sacks in 15 games and making the investment look justified.
Now, though, his status has become one of the more frustrating storylines on the roster. Landry has been out since the end of last season, missed all of training camp and the preseason, and opened the 2026 season on the Physically Unable to Perform list. As Week 9 approaches, there still isn’t a clear sign that he’s close to returning.
Vrabel was asked about Landry this week, especially with the Patriots being linked to edge help before the trade deadline, and his answer didn’t bring much clarity.
“I would say that anybody that’s still here and that’s getting treatment is tracking. How quickly they track or what that pace is, I don’t know. I just know that he’s working extremely hard, and like I’ve said a few times before, whenever he’s ready, he’ll he’ll start to return to play or he’ll start that process.
He’s doing some things on the side. He’s doing some things with the strength coaches and the trainers, and I know he’s working hard.”
That’s about as cautious as it gets, and it echoes the vague update Vrabel offered a few weeks ago. At this point, the Patriots still don’t have a real timetable, and the longer this drags on, the more it feels like Landry may not factor into this season at all.
Even if he were cleared sometime in the next nine weeks, he’d still need a ramp-up period. He hasn’t practiced since the week of the Super Bowl earlier this year, which means he’d be trying to catch up after a long stretch away from football and from this year’s defense. That makes any realistic expectation of a meaningful late-season impact harder to hold onto.
The concern around Landry wasn’t brand-new even before the injury. There were already questions about whether he could be the kind of leading pass rusher the Patriots needed, despite the production he showed last season. Now, with his absence stretching this long, those doubts have only grown.
For now, the Patriots’ pass rush is left to rookie Gabe Jacas and Elijah Ponder, both of whom have excelled this season. They’ve done enough to keep the unit moving, but the group could still use another body. Whether New England makes a move before the deadline remains uncertain, especially with limited cap space.
What is clear is that Landry remains out indefinitely, and that’s a tough outcome for a defense that could have been even stronger with him in the mix.
In Other News...
Patriots Offense Faces One Huge Test Against Green Bay
The Patriots are heading into a tricky midseason measuring stick against Green Bay, with both teams sitting at 5-3 and both defenses built to make life difficult on offense. New England is trying to sort through its own injury issues while preparing for a game that figures to be tight, physical and short on easy yards, especially with the Packers also missing several notable pieces on their side.
One of the biggest questions for New England is the status of Hunter Henry, who did not practice recently as the Patriots continue to manage a growing list of health concerns. With Green Bay also expected to be shorthanded, this matchup may come down to which offense can piece together enough clean drives against a defense that is likely to win its share of snaps. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Trade Deadline Mistake They Really Can't Afford
The Patriots are heading toward the trade deadline with the same familiar problem that has followed them all season: too many places where the roster has not held up the way it needed to. Injuries and underperformance have thinned the wide receiver room, and the front office is still weighing whether the answer is to stand pat or make a move that can stabilize the offense and the line of scrimmage.
There is also some internal tension around how aggressive New England should be. Talks involving vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf are ongoing, and the team has looked at help at offensive guard and edge rusher, but the broader question is whether the Patriots should be adding or subtracting from a defense that still has pieces worth keeping intact. For a team trying to avoid a deadline misstep, the next few days could say a lot about how it views its own timeline. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A Trade Deadline Choice That Could Hurt A Playoff Push
With the NFL trade deadline approaching, the Patriots are being forced to weigh short-term help against the longer view of their roster. Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer pointed to Christian Barmore and Carlton Davis as possible trade candidates, a reminder that even a team trying to build momentum can find itself pulled into deadline conversations when the market starts moving.
Mike Vrabel has tried to keep the focus elsewhere, saying he has not shared any trade plans and stressing the team is locked in on the Packers and the usual week-to-week business. Still, the possibility of moving either player would come with real consequences for a Patriots group trying to stay competitive, which is why this deadline feels less like a formality and more like a decision that could shape the rest of the season. [Read more 🡒]