Deatrich Wise will be a free agent, but wants to return to the Patriots
FOXBORO -- Playing for the New England Patriots hasn't been very appealing over the last few years. It'll be a real tough sell after the 2024 season saw the team take several steps back under head coach Jerod Mayo.
But players continue to back the first-year head coach despite the team's 3-13 record heading into Week 18, and a defensive captain expressed his desire to return in 2025 on Wednesday.
Deatrich Wise Jr. has spent his entire eight-year NFL career in New England after the team drafted him in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl ring early in his career and has become an important contributor along the New England defensive line. He was voted a team captain for the third straight season in 2024.
"I would love to return. I love it here," Wise said Wednesday. "I love the Patriots, the Nation, and all that. If everything works out to where I'm back, I'll enjoy it. If not, then it was a wonderful time here."
The Patriots defense has been a huge disappointment this season, with a pass rush that has been MIA for a while now and a bevvy of missed tackles every weekend. But Wise sees the promise in the team as a whole, and wants to be part of the future in New England.
"We have a lot of young guys here, but those young guys understand their roles and the roles around them. Their football IQ is growing," he said. "And [I've been impressed with] how we've continued to jell as a team. It's easy when everything is going good to continue to jell, but as we've gone through the ups and downs of the season, we've gotten closer together.
"If we continue to stay close, we have the trajectory to move up next year," said Wise.
He didn't want to reflect on the season just yet, but Wise did impart some advice to everyone once the offseason hits on Sunday afternoon.
"Hold on to those feelings throughout the offseason and train to your highest ability. Train every day, and reflect on your thought process and how you played during the season so when you come back next season, you're ready to be 10 times better than you were last time," he said.
Impending Patriots free agents
Wise is one of two important contributors on the defensive side that will hit the open market along with veteran cornerback Jonathan Jones. Like Wise, Jones has a Super Bowl ring (two, actually) from those brighter times in New England. He's been with the Patriots since signing as an undrafted free-agent in 2016.
But Jones didn't want to discuss his future on Wednesday, not with a game to focus on coming up on Sunday.
"Honestly, just how I came into the league and how I came into here, being undrafted, I always treated each day as an opportunity. I'll treat Sunday the same -- another opportunity to be out there," he said. "Anything past that, I'll deal with it when it gets here."
Defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale and defensive back Jaylinn Hawkins will also be free agents for the Patriots. On the offensive side, veteran QB Jacoby Brissett, running back JaMycal Hasty, and tight end Austin Hooper will hit the open market, and on special teams, kicker Joey Slye is also set to become a free agent.
The Patriots should be extremely active this offseason, with a projected $131.5 million in cap space -- the most in the NFL.
Tune in to Sunday's Patriots-Bills clash on WBZ-TV -- the television home of the New England Patriots. Coverage begins Wednesday night with Patriots 1st Down at 9:30 p.m. on TV38 and streaming on CBSBoston.com, and continues Friday night with Patriots All Access at 7 p.m. on WBZ-TV. Pregame coverage begins Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay on WBZ-TV and streaming on CBSBoston.com, and switch over to TV38 after the game for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter.
