The New England Patriots have an exciting new pass-catcher in wide receiver AJ Brown. But Mike Vrabel and the Patriots also lost one of their newest skilled-position players this week — Julian Hill.
New England placed Hill on injured reserve to create roster space for Brown upon trading for the wideout. On June 2, Vrabel confirmed Hill will not play during the 2026 campaign.
“Julian won’t be able to play this season. That’s plain and simple. Devastating, awful,” Vrabel told reporters Tuesday. “Really enjoy the person, and want to have him around here as much as we possibly can.
“But that’s just because he wouldn’t be able to play this season.”
Vrabel added that Hill suffered the season-ending injury in practice. Reports indicate Hill sustained a knee injury.
The Patriots signed Hill to a 3-year, $15 million contract in NFL free agency this offseason. New England expected the veteran tight end to make significant contributors behind Hunter Henry this fall.
Mike Vrabel Reacts to Patriots Losing $15 Million Free Agent to Injury