On Monday, ESPN’s Mike Reiss reported that linebacker Christian Elliss will be returning to the Patriots in 2025, as the team matched an offer sheet given to the 26-year-old by the Raiders.
According to Reiss, this means Elliss will be under contract in New England through the 2026 season.
As a restricted free agent, Elliss was tendered by the Patriots at the low level of $3.26 million. Because Elliss was an undrafted free agent coming out of Idaho in 2021, the low-level tender meant that if another team signed him to an offer sheet, the Patriots would not receive any draft-pick compensation.
With the Raiders losing linebacker Robert Spillane in free agency earlier this month as the 29-year-old signed a three-year deal with New England worth $37 million, they looked to backfill the position with a two-year offer sheet to Elliss. With the restricted designation, the Patriots had until Monday to match if they didn’t want to lose the player.
And despite Elliss being a part of a front seven that regressed mightily throughout the 2024 season, the Patriots do what they needed to do to bring back a player that will undoubtedly be a depth piece within this revamped New England defense in 2025.
Elliss is a player who saw both peaks and valleys throughout his second season with the Patriots, routinely being exposed in the open field while also making enough plays in the backfield to make you wonder what his true ceiling could be.
I think back to his Week 8 performance against the Jets at Gillette Stadium, where Elliss led the team with 9 tackles along with a sack and a pass break-up to help secure New England its first win at home in over a year.
A true flash-in-the-pan performance? Sure.
But it’s also a window into the high-motor new defensive coordinator Terrell Williams will be able to tap into as Elliss’ snap count decreases with more talent around him in 2025. If you’re getting 25% less Elliss this upcoming season with 100% effort going into that remaining 75% (did you follow that?), you’re in a much better place with the player.
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