On Tuesday, just two days after losing in the Super Bowl, coach Mike Vrabel acknowledged that the path forward for the New England Patriots won’t be easy. He pointed out that the 2002 Patriots, a team he was a part of, didn’t make the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl the year before. There will be plenty of emotional scars to work through, not to mention a considerably tougher schedule in 2026. And that’s before Vrabel even got into the roster-building phase of the offseason, which includes free agency and the draft.

“There will be some difficult decisions we have to make,” Vrabel said.

Let’s examine some of those big questions that loom for the Patriots.

How do they fix the offensive line?

It wasn’t just the Super Bowl. The entire playoff run showed just how much work the Patriots still have to do up front, even after nabbing four new starters last offseason, including a first- and third-round pick.

Twenty-one. Quarterback Drake Maye was sacked 21 times in four postseason games. Concern has continued to grow about rookie Will Campbell’s long-term position. But Vrabel was adamant Tuesday that Campbell won’t move inside to guard.

“He’s our left tackle,” Vrabel said. “He’ll get better. He’ll get stronger.”

So what can they do with fellow rookie Jared Wilson, who struggled at left guard? Could they cut Garrett Bradbury and slide Wilson to center? Then find a new left guard?

Morgan Moses’ future is unclear, too. The veteran right tackle will be 35 this spring. Is he committed to another season? Even if he is, it would be wise to start developing a youngster behind him.

Like most NFL teams, the Patriots face a lot of difficult questions this offseason. But none is more pressing than what they do in the trenches. Which leads us to …

How can they improve at edge rusher?

The Patriots saw up close what a difference it made for their playoff foes to get pressure with only four rushers. And they already have a really good interior defensive line. But their edge rushers this season were just OK, and they might lose K’Lavon Chaisson in free agency. Also, Harold Landry’s lingering knee injury raises questions about his durability as he enters his age-30 season.

So the Patriots need to get help at the position. Maybe that means taking a big swing via trade. Maybe it’s a free agent like Trey Hendrickson or Jaelan Phillips. Or maybe it’s using their late first-round pick on the position. But they desperately need help.

Will they make a big trade?

Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ executive vice president of player personnel, came up in a different era of roster management when big trades rarely worked. But recent results have bucked that trend, as my colleague Mike Sando noted in this week’s Pick Six column.

So, with Vrabel’s influence on roster building only continuing to grow, do the Patriots take advantage of the star players who seem interested in playing for Vrabel and go after a big name?

The two obvious candidates are Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby and Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown.

Crosby would be the perfect player for this team. All hustle. Never takes a play off. Fills arguably the Pats’ biggest need. Intrigued by the idea of playing for Vrabel.

The problem is that he’d come with a massive price tag, which might be difficult for the Patriots, considering they still need to draft and develop to build out roster depth. A trade for Crosby would probably involve giving up two first-round picks. Is that worth it?

The other option is Brown, who has been connected to Vrabel going back to their days together in Tennessee. Brown is the kind of receiver the Patriots need. But Vrabel also built a team-first attitude with the Pats this season. Does Brown fit in that box?

What’s the plan at tight end?

Austin Hooper is set to become a free agent. Hunter Henry is 31, and his production dipped late in the season. Henry didn’t have more than three catches in any of the four playoff games. He had 60 or more receiving yards just once in New England’s last eight games.

After the Patriots decided not to draft a tight end last year, their pipeline is dry, and they need reinforcements. That means likely turning toward free agency.

Kyle Pitts is the top option, but there aren’t a ton of starting-caliber tight ends on the market, which could drive up his price tag. Whether it’s in free agency or the draft, the Patriots need help at the position.

Who will run the defense next season?

This is admittedly an uncomfortable question to address. And it will probably be a difficult decision for Vrabel.

On the one hand, Terrell Williams, formally the team’s defensive coordinator, missed almost all of this season due to a battle with cancer. It certainly doesn’t seem fair to lose your job because of that. Plus, he’s long been one of Vrabel’s top aides.

On the other hand, Zak Kuhr was tremendous as the defensive play caller in place of Williams, especially late in the season. While the Patriots’ offense slumped, the defense was the main reason they made it to the Super Bowl. Would he be willing to take a back seat after all of that success, and would Vrabel be OK essentially demoting him after a terrific run to end the season?

“There will be a lot of things we’ll have to work through,” Vrabel said when asked about it Tuesday. “But (Terrell Williams) is healthy and been given a release to be back at work.”

Can they retain Thomas Brown?

Vrabel was down to Josh McDaniels and Brown when picking his offensive coordinator last year, then was lucky to retain Brown as the passing-game coordinator after choosing McDaniels to run the offense.

But Brown is a well-regarded coach, and the team’s passing attack was its strength this season. Could Brown land an offensive coordinator job elsewhere? And will Vrabel look for any other changes to his coaching staff?

Can they get a deal done with Christian Gonzalez?

Starting this offseason, Gonzalez will be eligible to negotiate a contract extension with the Patriots, who will surely pick up his fifth-year option. When they do, it’ll barely register as news, given how obvious the move is.

But can the Patriots iron out a long-term deal with Gonzalez before next season begins? Those deals typically don’t get done until late July or early August, but it’s worth monitoring, especially after Gonzalez said Tuesday that he wants to remain in New England.

Gonzalez was very good in the regular season, but great in the playoffs, and was the team’s best player in the Super Bowl. Derek Stingley ($30 million per year) and Sauce Gardner ($30.1 million per year) reset the cornerback market, and that’s a lot of money. But the market is only going to go up at a premium position like that, so the Pats would be wise to get a deal done, even if it briefly makes Gonzalez the league’s highest-paid corner.