Taking a look at the top 10 New England Patriots under contract in 2026, NFL salary cap projections and the team’s highest-paid players.
Even though the Patriots lost Super Bowl LX, it is hard to say that this was not a successful season in Foxborough. Mike Vrabel finished the season as the Coach of the Year, and Drake Maye looks like one of the better young quarterbacks in the NFL. With a solid defense and young pieces on the offensive line, New England looks like they are in a position to compete for years to come.
Below, we will take a look at the 10 best players that the New England Patriots still have under contract for next season. We will also look at NFL salary cap projections and the top cap hits on the team in 2026.
All New England Patriots salary cap data below is accurate as of February 22nd, 2026.
10 Best New England Patriots Under Contract in 2026
These are the 10 best players the New England Patriots still have under contract for the 2026 season, in the order of their current salary cap hit. For those who know ball, you will recognize that these are the team’s 10 best players and not just the players that journalism nerds think they need to talk about.
- Milton Williams, DL ($28.4M)
- Stefon Diggs, WR ($26.5M)
- Mike Onwenu, G ($25M)
- Christian Barmore, DL ($17.1M)
- Harold Landry, EDGE ($16.4M)
- Robert Spillane, LB ($12.3M)
- Drake Maye, QB ($9.9M)
- Marcus Jones, CB ($6.3M)
- Jahlani Tavai, LB ($5.2M)
- Christian Gonzalez, CB ($4.9M)
Highest New England Patriots Cap Hits in 2026
As things stand today, here is a list of the 10 highest player hits against the New England Patriots’ salary cap in 2026. Obviously, contracts can be manipulated, and a player could be cut or traded as well. In the case of a release, we have listed a player’s dead cap. This is how much money they would count against the cap if they are cut from the team.
- DL, Milton Williams, $28.4M ($39M dead cap)
- WR, Stefon Diggs, $26.5M ($8M)
- G, Mike Onwenu, $25M ($7.5M)
- CB, Carlton Davis, $22M ($24M)
- DL, Christian Barmore, $17.1M ($12.8M)
- EDGE, Harold Landry, $16.4M (19M)
- TE, Hunter Henry, $11.8M ($2.5M)
- OT, Morgan Moses, $10.4M ($7.3M)
- QB, Drake Maye, $9.9M ($21.7M)
- OT, Will Campbell, $9.9M ($35.7M)
NFL Salary Cap Projections 2026
The league has informed teams that the 2026 NFL salary cap will be between $301.2 million and $305.7 million per team. Below, we will assume a salary cap of $303.45 million, using data from Spotrac.
| Rk | TM | Current Players | Cap Space | Dead Cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TEN | 52 | $97,776,638 | $5,135,657 |
| 2 | LV | 49 | $87,821,212 | $35,238,302 |
| 3 | LAC | 52 | $82,100,325 | $478,183 |
| 4 | NYJ | 51 | $78,990,889 | $88,996,619 |
| 5 | WAS | 52 | $66,506,531 | $12,592,731 |
| 6 | SEA | 57 | $63,421,971 | $483,724 |
| 7 | CIN | 63 | $52,675,496 | $11,248,222 |
| 8 | PIT | 60 | $44,768,173 | $7,934,338 |
| 9 | LAR | 53 | $44,390,412 | $8,570,436 |
| 10 | IND | 60 | $34,952,488 | $2,093,644 |
| 11 | NE | 64 | $34,800,699 | $20,364,345 |
| 12 | ARI | 59 | $32,813,790 | $14,951,854 |
| 13 | ATL | 50 | $26,181,296 | $4,660,354 |
| 14 | DEN | 55 | $26,033,090 | $1,218,922 |
| 15 | BAL | 48 | $22,673,001 | $12,262,715 |
| 16 | SF | 59 | $22,453,414 | $36,327,740 |
| 17 | TB | 52 | $14,479,885 | $253,922 |
| 18 | CAR | 54 | $9,875,093 | $14,607,844 |
| 19 | NYG | 58 | $7,030,099 | $216,988 |
| 20 | PHI | 56 | $3,679,036 | $53,387,574 |
| 21 | MIA | 52 | -$3,699,267 | $73,949,385 |
| 22 | GB | 66 | -$4,344,831 | $17,171,715 |
| 23 | HOU | 54 | -$8,042,142 | $39,318,780 |
| 24 | DET | 49 | -$9,151,960 | $9,287,290 |
| 25 | CHI | 53 | -$9,503,349 | $917,995 |
| 26 | JAX | 61 | -$12,074,552 | $50,977,118 |
| 27 | KC | 54 | -$14,403,869 | $215,642 |
| 28 | BUF | 59 | -$15,187,073 | $30,093,166 |
| 29 | CLE | 55 | -$19,541,898 | $39,763,849 |
| 30 | DAL | 54 | -$25,890,723 | $24,344,178 |
| 31 | MIN | 54 | -$40,632,414 | $5,608,074 |
| 32 | NO | 66 | -$41,774,364 | $90,590,412 |
