Mike Vrabel Confirms Patriots Newcomer’s Season Is Over Before It Begins originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New England Patriots had a relatively quiet 2026 offseason. Unfortunately, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed on Tuesday that one of their most expensive signees, Julian Hill, has had his season ended before it even starts.
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“Julian won’t be able to play this season. That’s plain and simple. Devastating, awful,” Vrabel told reporters. “So, that’s just disappointing because of the impact that he made in a short amount of time with his teammates, and just the person that he is, the way that he practiced.”
The injury still has not been announced, but based on the timetable, it’s safe to assume that it was a serious lower-body injury.
Hill was going to be a massive part of the 2026 Patriots offense. He was supposed to step into the tight end No. 2 role, playing a significant amount of snaps every game and creating holes for the running back tandem of Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson.
Hill signed a three-year, $15 million contract this offseason. As such, Vrabel plans to keep him close while he recovers so that he can hit the ground running in 2027.
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“We want Julian to be a part of us as much as possible,” Vrabel said. “He’s just not going to do that on the field this year.”
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