Since long-time head coach Bill Belichick’s departure in January 2024, the New England Patriots’ roster has undergone significant change. In fact, only 12 players from that season are still around.
One of them is Christian Elliss, who joined the team as a waiver claim during Belichick’s final campaign and has carved out a valuable role since then.
Hard facts
Name: Christian Elliss
Position: Off-ball linebacker
Jersey number: 53
Opening day age: 27 (1/2/1999)
Measurements: 6’1 3/4”, 231 lbs, 9 1/2” hand size, 31 3/4” arm
length, 75 1/2” wingspan, 4.58s 40-yard dash, 6.94s 3-cone drill, 4.29s short shuttle, 35 1/2” vertical jump, 10’0” broad jump, 22 bench press reps, 8.91 Relative Athletic Score
Experience
NFL: Minnesota Vikings (2021), Philadelphia Eagles (2021; 2021-23), San Francisco 49ers (2021), New England Patriots (2023-) | College: Idaho (2017-20)
The third-oldest of former Pro Bowl defensive tackle Luther Elliss’ 12 children, Elliss was rated a two-star outside linebacker recruit coming out of Valor Christian High School in Highlands Ranch, CO. He received limited interest from colleges, eventually ending up in Division I via a scholarship offer from Idaho. In four seasons with the Vandals, he appeared in 38 games with 28 starts and was twice named first-team All-Big Sky.
His college performance did not lead to Elliss getting selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, but it did open the door for him getting signed as a rookie free agent by the Vikings. His stint in Minnesota lasted fewer than four months, however, and he was cut ahead of the 53-man roster deadline.
He subsequently found his way to Philadelphia and San Francisco, joining both teams’ practice squad at the time, before a return to the Eagles toward the tail-end of the 2021 season. Elliss continued to live on the fringes of the team’s roster over the next two years, but he did start to make a name for himself as a quality special teamer.
That did not save him from getting cut in December 2023, however. After 22 combined regular season and playoff game appearances as an Eagle, Elliss took his talents elsewhere — or, to be more precise, saw his talents snatched by another club after Philadelphia exposed him to waivers. That club was, of course, the Patriots, who took advantage of their second position in the waiver claim order at the time to beat out five other teams for his services.
Exclusively a special teamer in his first four games in Foxborough, Elliss was retained as an exclusive rights and a restricted free agent in back-to-back offseasons since. In between, he developed into a starter-level off-ball linebacker besides retaining an active role in the kicking game. Heading into 2026, he has appeared in 39 total games for the Patriots.
Scouting report
Strengths: At under 6-foot-2 and 231 pounds, Ellis might be a bit on the smaller side but he makes up for it with good movement skills and physicality. He is a fast player at the second level who provides sideline-to-sideline range; he has proper burst out of his stance to fill gaps as a downhill run defender and help out in pursuit both to the edge or from the backside. In general, he has proven himself solid against the run due to his diagnosing skills, willingness to get his hands dirty and strong finishing as a tackler.
Elliss also has had some good moments as a pass rusher; he creates disruption with active hands at the point of attack and plays with good anticipation and an understanding of offensive structures. This plus his speed also allows him to be competitive as a coverage linebacker, particularly in zone defenses where he can keep his eyes on the ball and use his burst to close in on targets. He furthermore has an extensive special teams track record. He also has shown some good development through the years, making strides especially in terms of his read-and-react abilities.
Weaknesses: Elliss is more of a linear athlete than a well-rounded player, whose marginal change of direction skills negatively impact his success particularly in coverage: he is not particularly gifted in man-to-man coverage even though he has the speed to match routes against tight ends. However, he lacks the length and timing to break up passes on a regular basis and is therefore unevenly disruptive at the catch point. He also can find himself frozen in space due to poor eye discipline, or swallowed up by bigger blockers in the run game and as a pass rusher.
2025 review
Stats: 19 games (15 starts) | 657 defensive snaps (51.2%), 213 special teams snaps (38.9%) | 94 tackles, 17 missed tackles (15.3%), 2 TFLs, 2 FFs, 1 FR | 19 QB pressures (1 sack, 6 hits, 12 hurries) | 42 targets, 37 catches surrendered (88.1%), 355 yards, 1 TD, 5 PBUs | 19 special teams tackles, 2 missed tackles (9.5%) | 2 penalties (incl. 0 declined/offsetting)
Season recap: After arguably the best season of his career, the Patriots under new head coach Mike Vrabel decided to tender Elliss as a restricted free agent. They used the right of first refusal tender to do so, which allowed them to match any incoming offers but would not have granted them any compensation in case he had left for another team via such an offer. And an offer did indeed come: the Raiders signed him to a one-year, $4.8 million offer sheet.
The Patriots had five days to respond, and they did so by upping the ante. Instead of simply matching what Las Vegas would have offered Elliss, Vrabel and company signed him to a two-year, $13.5 million extension through the 2026 season.
The new deal ensured Elliss would be back in New England, and back as a vital piece of a rebuilt linebacker group.
When all was said and done, Elliss finished the year ranked second among the Patriots’ linebackers in playing time: his 657 defensive snaps trailed only Robert Spillane’s 955, and ranked him 10th overall on the New England defense. Availability — outside of a two-game stretch in November due to a hip issue — was not all the fifth-year man provided. He also was involved in some big plays including a pair of forced fumbles, including in a low-scoring AFC Championship Game against Denver.
Elliss strip-sacking Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham, plus the subsequent recovery by teammate Elijah Ponder (which should not have been blown dead and therefore ruled a defensive score), set up the Patriots’ lone touchdown of the game. They later added a field goal to advance to the Super Bowl with a final score of 10-7.
In addition, Elliss recovered a fumble in the AFC Wild Card Round versus the Chargers, finished third on the team in tackles, and was a regular on three special teams units. He also made a highlight-reel tackle against Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart in a Week 13 Monday night game.
All in all, Elliss’ second full season with the Patriots was a success. He did not top it off with a Super Bowl win, but from an individual perspective took another step forward.
2026 preview
Position: Weak-side off-ball linebacker | Ability: Average starter | Contract: Signed through 2026 (2027 UFA)
What will be his role? An exclusive special teamer early on in his Patriots tenure, Elliss has since steadily increased his defensive output. While he will retain a role in the kicking game to some degree, his main focus will be as an off-ball linebacker who is best suited to align on the weak side of the formation. He projects a part-time starter yet again as well as the No. 2 at the position behind team captain Robert Spillane.
What is his growth potential? Elliss has shown some steady strides as a defender since coming to Foxborough. Entering his third full season with the team and sixth overall in the NFL, however, there are natural questions about how much room for growth the 27-year-old has left. Realistically, no major jumps should be expected. That said, his current level — average starter plus potential four-unit special teamer — is certainly good enough to warrant a regular role.
Does he have positional versatility? The Patriots have mostly used Elliss as an off-the-ball linebacker since his arrival. He has kicked out to the edge on occasion or moved into the slot in man coverage, but overall has shown limited versatility on defense. The kicking game, at least theoretically, is a different story: he is a veteran of over 130 career snaps on each of the core four units. His defensive role increasing has led to a change, though, and he most recently saw regular opportunities only only three special teams squads (kickoff coverage, punt coverage, field goal/extra point block).
What is his salary cap situation? As part of the two-year contract he signed with the Patriots last offseason, Elliss is carrying an $8.56 million salary cap number into the 2026 season. It consists of a $6.75 million base salary, $1.25 million signing bonus proration and a combined $555,000 in active roster bonuses classified as likely to be earned (with an extra $74,000 deemed not likely to be earned and therefore not counted against the cap at the moment). Besides the entire signing bonus proration, $2.25 million of Elliss’ salary are also fully guaranteed for a total sum of $3.5 million in guarantees.
How safe is his roster spot? Even though the Patriots could create more than $4 million in cap space by releasing him, Elliss very much can be seen as a roster lock at this point in time. After all, he is a valuable contributor due to his starter-level role on defense and potential as a multi-unit special teamer.
Summary: Elliss is not an upper-echelon linebacker and arguably the most easily-replaced among the Patriots’ defensive starting 11 from a year ago. But while that might impact his long-term outlook beyond 2026, he currently is a big part of the operation and a still a quality player in his own right. It would therefore not be a surprise if he once again finished with a healthy playing time share, good statistics, and the occasional impact play.
What do you think about Christian Elliss heading into the 2026 season? Will he remain the Patriots’ second linebacker next to Robert Spillane? Will he earn himself a new contract? Please head down to the comment section to share your thoughts.
