Well, that was underwhelming.
The trade deadline came and went with no movement whatsoever for the 2-6 New England Patriots.
There was a report that the team called the Washington Commanders to check on the price for defensive end Chase Young, who was ultimately traded to the San Francisco 49ers, but outside of that inquiry, it was complete silence for the Patriots.
Bill Belichick’s decision to sit pat shouldn’t come as a surprise considering a head coach is typically never going to make tanking a priority. The only difference this time around is the fact that the coach is also in charge of the personnel decisions.
Perhaps the only shocker is the fact that the team didn’t move linebacker Josh Uche, who is seeing less reps on the field. He’s also playing on an expiring contract, which means he’ll have a chance to go wherever he chooses in free agency.
The Patriots listened, but are hanging on to young contract-year guys Josh Uche, Kyle Dugger and Mike Onwenu. Also, I'm told they never got any calls on QB Mac Jones or RB Zeke Elliott.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) October 31, 2023
As for the Patriots, Belichick will continue to fight the good fight—no matter how hopeless it seems—and try to win as many games as possible the rest of the way.
It won’t help the team’s chances of securing a higher draft pick in 2024, but it could put more games in the win column for Belichick, who continues the chase for the all-time wins record for an NFL head coach.
