The New England Patriots are no strangers to playing in the Super Bowl, with more appearances in the big game than any other franchise in the history of the league.
But how did the Patriots reach Super Bowl LX? How did they go from losing 13 games in back-to-back seasons, ranking in the bottom three of points scored, to vaulting to AFC Champions and playing for a chance to win it all?
Well, it's not just one move that gets you to this point. It's a series of moves coming together over time, but the Patriots undoubtedly made some big-time additions in 2025 that unlocked their potential as a team. We're taking a look at the top three.
Patriots decision to hire Mike Vrabel tops offseason additions leading to Super Bowl LX appearance
1. Hiring Mike Vrabel as head coach
Last year at this time, the Patriots had just made the difficult decision to fire head coach Jerod Mayo. Or maybe it wasn't all that difficult based on the way things went in his first year on the job.
Mayo had been the head coach in waiting for whenever Bill Belichick decided to call it quits, but things went so poorly in 2024 that the franchise decided they had to move on. But I'm not sure they would have just moved on without the availability of a coach like Mike Vrabel.
It's still hard to believe Vrabel was just floating around, working as a consultant with the Browns in 2024. He's a recent NFL Coach of the Year with the Titans, and will be Coach of the Year again with the Patriots. This is exactly the type of hire that helps unlock everything for an organization, when you have the right man leading from the top down.
There's no doubt that the biggest reason for the Patriots being in this position, representing the AFC in Super Bowl LX, is because of the decision to hire Vrabel.
2. Signing defensive lineman MIlton Williams in free agency
Another move that cannot be overstated in its importance is the decision to sign defensive lineman Milton Williams in free agency. The Patriots actually won a bidding war for Williams, who was arguably the top free agent on the market regardless of position.
It came so close, in fact, that there were reports of the Carolina Panthers even finalizing a deal to sign Williams before the Patriots swooped in and got the deal done themselves. His deal with the Patriots is for four years, $104 million, and the impact he's made has been outstanding.
For a team that had the worst sack differential in the league, Williams has provided a very necessary force from the inside. He's played a career-high 60 percent of the snaps, and even after missing some time, his impact has been felt tremendously for the New England defense.
3. Signing wide receiver Stefon Diggs in free agency
There were a lot of people who scoffed at the idea of the Patriots signing veteran receiver Stefon Diggs to a three-year deal worth $69 million in total money, and for a number of reasons.
First of all, Diggs has been known to be a bit of an off-field concern at times, and he was already recovering from a season-ending knee injury from his time in Houston. Giving him a big-money deal felt a little foolish at the time, but Diggs has been instrumental in the development of quarterback Drake Maye.
Diggs caught an astounding 85 of 102 targets this season, one of the most ridiculous catch percentages you will see for a player with 100 or more targets. He was a reliable target all year long for Drake Maye.