After New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane missed four regular-season contests and part of the AFC Championship Game due to injury, the franchise knew it was entering the offseason with a clear need to bolster the position’s depth.
While retaining several familiar faces from 2025, New England added veteran K.J. Britt and two rookies, Namdi Obiazor and Khalil Jacobs, to create a unit with more stability.
In the next edition of our Patriots training camp preview series, we’ll take a look at New
England’s linebacker corps in its entirety and discuss the biggest takeaways heading into the summer practices. Veterans will report to the facility on July 24.
*Denotes player on the Pats Pulpit 53-man roster projection
Depth chart
Starters: Robert Spillane (30)*, Christian Elliss (27)* | Backups: Chad Muma (26)*, K.J. Britt (27)*, Otis Reese (28), Amari Gainer (26), Namdi Obiazor (24/R), Khalil Jacobs (22/R), Riley Wilson (24/R)
Spillane as the green-dot communicator and Christian Elliss as the quick, physical weakside complement are currently slated to be the starting pair once again in 2026. But behind these starters is a wide-open competition for the rotational spots on the main roster.
Veterans Chad Muma and Britt are currently most equipped to take over those roles. Muma considerably repped with the first-team defense during spring practices, while Britt offers extensive special teams experience.
Then, sixth-round rookie Obiazor and undrafted free agents Jacobs and Wilson will spend training camp competing for a spot on the final roster.
Obiazor, who converted from defensive back to linebacker at TCU, has the 4.53-second 40-yard dash speed to cover a lot of space and the build (6-foot-3, 229 pounds) to finish tackles and be a force against the run. Jacobs is a bit undersized (6-foot-1, 227 pounds) but played with tenacity as a reliable tackler for the Tigers while emerging as a defensive leader. Wilson (6-foot-1, 226 pounds) joined the team just before camp and has on- and off-ball flexibility.
All three rookies also bring significant special-teams backgrounds to New England.
Finally, Otis Reese and Amari Gainer were each late-season practice squad additions to reinforce the Patriots’ defensive depth over the latter half of 2025; they’ll look to do the same next season. Reese logged 20 total games for the Tennessee Titans over the prior two seasons, while Gainer was primarily a specialist for the Las Vegas Raiders in 2024.
Key question: Can Robert Spillane remain fully healthy for postseason play?
During Week 15, Spillane suffered a foot/ankle injury in a divisional showdown against the Buffalo Bills, which sidelined the veteran for the remaining four games of the regular season.
While Spillane returned for the playoffs and played 96.3% of the defensive snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers and Houston Texans, the injury had been bothering him for some time. The signal caller was a limited participant in the two practices leading up to the Buffalo contest, and he would later reinjure his foot/ankle against the Denver Broncos, forcing him out of the championship game early.
Even though Spillane avoided offseason surgery and participated in the spring sessions after following a physical training plan with the franchise, it’s fair to question whether he can remain healthy throughout the entire 2026 season and possibly through another postseason run.
Spillane manned the field for 95.4% of New England’s regular-season defensive snaps across the 13 matchups he appeared in. Furthermore, because of the nature of the linebacker position, he’s engaging in contact during almost every play, constantly hitting with force to wrap up running backs bursting upfield.
No player currently on the roster can fully replace what Spillane provides to the defense, which further emphasizes the need for rotational pieces to make routine contributions.
X-Factor: The rotational committee
Replacing Spillane would require a collective effort. An effective committee not only provides stability and strengthens depth behind the starters, but it also reduces their workload over a 17-game season.
Based on his involvement during the spring, Muma appears to be the frontrunner for the top substitute role and the leading candidate to step in if Spillane were to miss time. Even at 6-foot-3 and 239 pounds, he also possesses the lateral athleticism to match up against tight ends in coverage. Muma is versatile enough to rotate with either Spillane or Elliss.
Britt’s experience lining up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2024 also makes him a potential option. The 27-year-old played 54.9% of the team’s defensive snaps that season.
Additionally, Obiazor is a dark horse candidate to achieve a larger role because of his combination of size and athleticism. If the rookie quickly adjusts to the mental demands on the field, he could increase his opportunities throughout training camp.
