Patriots Stuck In Transition? How NFL Execs View New England In AFC

The Patriots garner respect at the start of every new NFL season thanks to the six Super Bowls they've won over the past few decades under Bill Belichick, but that has slowly eroded in recent years.

Expressly, New England's status atop the AFC declined after Tom Brady left in 2020. The Patriots haven't been bad, but their 25-25 record since Brady went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then retired leaves much to be desired.

The Athletic's Mike Sando asked six NFL executives to grade every NFL team. The AFC rankings were released Wednesday, and New England was just average at 11th on the list, with its highest rank being seventh for one executive.

"It seems like they are in a perpetual state of transition now," one exec told Sando. "They will be better on offense, but quick, who is their No. 1 wide receiver? Who is their dynamic back, either running or receiving? They had one playoff performance since Brady left and lost by 30."

"The AFC is so loaded," another exec told Sando. "Who on their roster scares you? Who do you have to game-plan against on that offense?"

"They had one playoff performance since Brady left and lost by 30."

An NFL executive on the Patriots

Sando revealed the executives believed the offense would improve and the defense would be fine, but there were questions on whether the special teams unit would continue its decline. He also revealed the one executive that had the Patriots seventh in their rankings was higher on Mac Jones than the other voters.

Jones is optimistic about the offense under Bill O'Brien, but the Patriots get a tough matchup against the defending NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in their season opener at Gillette Stadium, where Brady also will return to be honored before the game.

How effective the Patriots are against Philadelphia could determine how well New England's season will go.