Mike Reiss
Multiple Authors
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — When the New England Patriots chosen security/linebacker Marte Mapu within the third spherical of the 2023 draft (76th general), it was an outside-the-box choose within the sense that Mapu did not have a conventional place match.
At 6-foot-3 and 230 kilos, he was lighter than most linebackers former coach Bill Belichick most well-liked and greater than the safeties he typically focused. The hope was that Mapu’s motion abilities and take-on skill would emerge in a “newer” function as a better proportion of defensive snaps performed in nickel personnel (5 defensive backs).
Three years and three Patriots regimes later, the Mapu experiment is coming to an finish, with the staff informing Mapu of its plans to release him, in line with league sources.
Mapu was coming into the ultimate yr of his contract and scheduled to earn a base wage of $1.508 million. It’s potential one other staff that rated him extremely popping out of Sacramento State provides a conditional late-round draft choose to commerce for him, however regardless, the Patriots’ resolution to maneuver on displays, partly, how they do not view his wage as commensurate along with his projected 2026 function.
Mapu performed 12% of the defensive snaps in 2025, largely in nickel or dime packages (six defensive backs), and totaled 13 tackles with one interception and 5 passes defended.
His biggest contributions got here as the private protector on the punt staff — a job that would now be stuffed by safeties Dell Pettus or Mike Brown, amongst others. Mapu totaled 12 particular groups tackles (third on the membership) within the 2025 common season and performed 58% of the particular groups snaps.
In all, Mapu performed in 44 video games (10 begins) in New England, totaling 89 tackles, three interceptions and a half sack. He began 9 video games in 2024 below head coach Jerod Mayo, who gave the impression to be his largest champion.
The 2026 Patriots, with head coach Mike Vrabel coming into his second season and Zak Kuhr coming into his first official season as defensive coordinator, determine to now goal extra depth at off-the-line linebacker within the 2026 NFL draft (April 23-25; ESPN, ABC, ESPN App).
Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss return as starters, however the depth behind them has nearly been worn out with Mapu and Jahlani Tavai launched, and Jack Gibbens signing with the Cardinals after not being tendered as a restricted free agent.
K.J. Britt, previously of the Dolphins, was signed to a modest one-year contract to hitch Chad Muma as projected prime backups. They be part of practice-squad gamers Otis Reese and Amari Gainer.
