The New England Patriots could be willing to move one of their highest-paid defenders before the NFL trade deadline.
NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran advanced a thought on defensive tackle Christian Barmore during a WEEI appearance, noting financial deliberations about a potential deal.
“I think they’d love to sell [Christian] Barmore,” Curran said in a clip shared by WEEI on Tuesday, Nov. 3.
Tom E. Curran breaks down the Patriots’ potential trade deadline plans and why the team could be ready to move on from defensive lineman Christian Barmore.
The defensive tackle signed a four-year, $84 million extension in 2024, but his contract becomes more expensive over the next two seasons.
Tom E. Curran Explains Patriots’ Christian Barmore Trade Dilemma
Curran identified Barmore’s future salary as a possible obstacle to finding a trade partner.
“The problem with Christian Barmore is if you trade him, whoever picks him up, is going to be looking at an $18, $19 million dollar salary the next two years,” Curran said.
Those figures align with the base salaries listed by Over the Cap: $18 million in 2027 and $19 million in 2028. Neither season includes guaranteed salary, according to the contract database.
His scheduled cap charges for New England are higher, reaching $23.6 million in 2027 and $24.6 million in 2028. His current cap hit is $17.1 million.
“But for the Patriots, he’s got massive cap hits they want to get out from under,” Curran said. “The money’s not guaranteed, for either of the next 2 years, so he’s a prime candidate.”
The distinction between salary and cap hit matters when evaluating a future trade. Barmore’s future Patriots cap figures include prorated signing bonus charges, so an acquiring team wouldn’t simply inherit those same numbers.
Even so, the scheduled salaries would give a prospective buyer a financial determination to weigh beyond this season. The absence of guaranteed salary in those years does offer flexibility to revisit the arrangement.
Patriots’ Reported Asking Price Adds Context to Barmore’s Future
Curran’s remarks follow reporting from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer that the Patriots have discussed trading Barmore with other teams.
During an NBC Sports Boston appearance covered by Boston.com, Breer said his understanding was that New England’s asking price would be approximately a fourth-round draft pick.
Breer also said Barmore had fallen behind Milton Williams and Cory Durden in the defensive line rotation, a reason his future has become a deadline topic.
Barmore is a productive pass rusher, however. The Patriots’ official statistics list him with 3.5 sacks this season, second on the team behind Elijah Ponder’s six.
The former second-round pick has previously shown a higher ceiling. Via his official team biography, Barmore recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks in 2023 before signing his extension the following offseason. He played all 17 regular-season games in 2025, making 16 starts and finishing with two sacks and 11 quarterback hits.
That production, assuming it’s not out of the question to exist again at some point, hands New England something to weigh against the financial appeal of a trade.
Let’s see how it all pans out.
Patriots Would ‘Love to Sell’ $84 Million Defender: Insider