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The New England Patriots Could Avoid Free Agency by Elevating This Tight End
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- The New England Patriots Could Avoid Free Agency by Elevating This Tight End
(Darren Yamashita)
The most major decisions that the New England Patriots needed to make this offseason are in the rearview mirror. That, of course, is for now until the team heads back to the practice field in about a month's time.
A still-looming position that will need some attention is the TE2 spot, created by Julian Hill 's injury this past month.
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There are a few blocking tight ends scattered across the free agent market right now. But there's still a fairly pivotal, plug-and-play, diverse player on the team the Pats could use in 2026, rather than sign a free agent to a short-term deal.
Fullback/tight end Jack Westover still sits on the Patriots' roster and is still under contract through 2027.
When the Patriots signed fullback Reggie Gilliam from the Buffalo Bills this offseason, it very much raised the question of whether Westover may be on the trade block. Westover had been with the Patriots since 2024 and had taken most of his snaps on special teams the last two years. With Gilliam now arriving with a contract like the one he signed, it's clear the Patriots wanted to use him over Westover.
Still, why not see if Westover can really prove his worth in the trenches as a blocking tight end? He's perfectly capable of it.
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Westover can work well in space and knows how to find openings in zone coverage and to add yards after the catch. So even if they wanted him to do more than just block on the line for the run game, he has that added extra if need be.
Westover was overlooked going into the NFL, but his college career at the University of Washington got him a ton of praise. He appeared in 52 games with 16 starts and registered 94 offensive touches for 875 yards and seven touchdowns. He was also named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention in 2023.
After a failed season in Seattle , he made his way across the country to Foxborough and made the Patriots' practice squad.
In 2025, Westover played in all 21 games. Mostly in the back, in the field, and special teams, as well as being plugged into tight-end schemes. You even caught Westover in the slot a few times this past season.
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There's no reason not to give him the opportunity to prove himself again in 2026.
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