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Christian Barmore #90 of the New England Patriots
The New England Patriots made an unsurprising but still quite noteworthy decision on star DT Christian Barmore. The former second-round pick carries a $17.1 million cap hit in 2026, the fourth-highest on the team, so there remained a possibility that the Patriots would want to do something about that, especially considering the legal troubles Barmore is currently embroiled in.
But that’s no longer a concern. As of 4 pm EDT Friday afternoon, Barmore’s $12 million salary for this upcoming season is fully guaranteed, meaning he’s not going anywhere. The Patriots are keeping their stalwart in the middle, the man who’s locked down that defensive line for the last five seasons.
A former second-round pick out of Alabama in 2021, Barmore’s best season came in 2023, when he had 64 tackles, eight sacks, a forced fumbles, and six passes defensed. In his five-year Patriots career, he has 168 tackles, 15 sacks, a forced fumble, and nine passes defensed.
New England Patriots DT Christian Barmore Was Battling Legal Trouble That Jeopardized His NFL Future
GettyFOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 04: Christian Barmore #90 of the New England Patriots looks on in the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2026 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Normally, New England wouldn’t even be suspected of potentially cutting one of their best players coming off a healthy season. But Barmore’s legal situation complicated matters. He was facing assault and battery charges stemming from an incident in his Boston home last year.
“A criminal complaint had said Barmore briefly took his girlfriend’s phone, threw her to the floor and grabbed her by the shirt last year during an Aug. 8 argument at his home in Mansfield outside Boston,” the AP wrote. “The woman told Mansfield police she reported the incident on Aug. 25, nearly three weeks after it occurred. She provided officers with a photo showing bruising she said happened when she was thrown to the floor, according to the complaint.”
“However, Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III told reporters that the woman who made the complaint did not want to travel out of state for the case. He also pointed out that Barmore wasn’t arrested when the complaint was initially made, which he said was significant.”
Barmore’s lawyer released a statement some time ago, denying that any crime was committed. “The evidence will demonstrate that no criminal conduct took place,” he said.
On Monday, prosecutors dismissed the charges against Barmore, paving the way for him to return to the Patriots in 2026.
The New England Patriots Are Still Looking For Pass Rush Help
The Patriots fielded one of the league’s best defenses in 2025. But they had one area of (relative) weakness: rushing the passer. No Patriots player reached double-digit sacks last season, and their second-best pass rusher just signed with the Commanders.
Free agent signee Dre’Mont Jones joins Harold Landry III as New England’s top guys off the edge. Those are two solid, complementary players, but not elite quarterback hunters. The rest of the Patriots defense got even better from a year ago, but pass rusher could be a position New England looks to address early and aggressively in the upcoming draft.
Ethan Woodie is an accomplished sports writer specializing in the NFL and college football for Heavy.com. He’s written for Heavy since 2025 and has years of experience writing for NFL Trade Rumors and Pro Football Focus (PFF). Woodie is an expert in draft scouting and his final 2025 Big Board was included in Arif Hasan’s media consensus board for Wide Left. More about Ethan Woodie
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