The connections on the coaching staffs range from Pete Carroll, Patrick Graham, Tyrone McKenzie and Bob Bicknell to Josh McDaniels, Terrell Williams, Todd Downing and Doug Marrone. And you also may have heard of the retired quarterback with a statue and an ownership stake.
But there’s familiarity on the field between the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, too. The active rosters and practice squads currently include nine players who have suited up for both sides of the 2025 season opener.
Here’s a glance through the former Patriots and former Raiders heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
LAS VEGAS
Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver — Meyers reportedly requested a trade prior to the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline in August and is due a base salary of $10.5 million in the last year of his deal. Since signing with the Raiders in 2023, the 28-year-old wideout has caught 158 passes for 1,834 yards and 12 touchdowns across 31 starts. The 1,000-yard mark was reached last season. Entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State in 2019, Meyers amassed 235 catches for 2,758 yards and eight touchdowns across 60 games with the Patriots. The former quarterback received the team’s Ed Block Courage Award, threw a pair of touchdowns and led the offense in receiving yards for three consecutive campaigns.
Atonio Mafi, guard — After signing with the Raiders at the start of training camp in July, Mafi was retained on the practice squad at its formation. The 24-year-old interior lineman stands 20 games into his NFL career. It got underway with the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2023 draft at No. 144 overall. The UCLA product appeared in every contest during his rookie season, starting a handful, before being waived the following August. He spent 2024 between the practice squad and active roster of the Indianapolis Colts and went unclaimed in May.
Adam Butler, defensive tackle — A former Vanderbilt convert to the defensive side of the ball, Butler entered the league as part of New England’s 2017 undrafted class. He went on to appear in 63 games, starting a dozen, while tallying 96 tackles, 15 sacks and nine batted passes. After being retained on a restricted tender in 2020, Super Bowl LIII champion headed to the other side of the AFC East in free agency. Butler was released by the Miami Dolphins following a failed physical in 2022 and spent the year out of football. The 31-year-old has since found a home in Las Vegas, logging 34 games, 16 starts, 93 tackles, 10 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles over the past pair of seasons.
Elandon Roberts, linebacker — The Raiders reached a one-year deal with Roberts in March. The 31-year-old downhill thumper stands 140 games and 105 starts into his NFL run. Out of Morgan State and Houston, the run began with the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2016 draft at No. 214 overall. Roberts earned Super Bowl LI and LIII rings and served as a team captain during his tenure. The part-time fullback caught a touchdown from 38 yards out while also amassing 206 tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He signed with the Dolphins in 2020 and spent the past two campaigns in the AFC North as a Pittsburgh Steeler.
NEW ENGLAND
Mack Hollins, wide receiver — A two-year, $8.4 million contract brought Hollins to Foxborough in March. It also brought the 31-year-old wideout back into the fold for a past head coach and present offensive coordinator. Hollins scored four touchdowns and set career highs with 94 targets, 57 receptions and 690 yards while a member of the Raiders in 2022. Originally entering the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, Hollins has made additional stops with the Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills. The North Carolina product has totaled 162 receptions for 2,069 yards and 15 touchdowns while seeing 3,420 snaps on offense and 1,186 snaps on special teams through 112 games.
Austin Hooper, tight end — Hooper has signed two contracts through two Patriots offseasons. He appeared in every game in 2024 and made eight starts for the tight end room. By season’s end, the 30-year-old out of Stanford had caught 45 of the 59 passes sent his direction for 476 yards and three touchdowns. Hooper, who was taken in the third round of the 2016 draft, twice earned Pro Bowl honors with the Falcons before moving around the league. The veteran spent 2022 with head coach Mike Vrabel’s Tennessee Titans and then made his way to the desert in 2023. Hooper’s lone year as a Raider featured 25 catches, 234 yards and no touchdowns while playing 53 percent of the offensive snaps.
Thayer Munford Jr., offensive tackle — The 25-year-old Munford joined the practice squad in Foxborough entering Labor Day weekend after being waived by the Raiders. He was selected in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL draft and spent the past three seasons on the active roster in Las Vegas. The former No. 238 overall pick went on to appear in 46 games, including 18 starts, and saw 1,088 offensive snaps between the tackle spots and eligible tight end. An Ohio State product, he twice earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and served as a Buckeyes captain.
Ben Brown, guard — The Patriots added Brown to the 53-man roster on a Wednesday night last October. The organization did so via the practice squad in Las Vegas. By that Sunday afternoon, he was starting and staying in for all 66 offensive snaps. And in front of rookie quarterback Drake Maye. The 27-year-old saw his exclusive rights retained ahead of free agency and now factors into the equation both at left guard and center. Undrafted out of Ole Miss in 2022, Brown has started 10 of his 11 NFL games. His career began with Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals stints.
K’Lavon Chaisson, linebacker — Set to serve as a gameday captain, the 26-year-old Chaisson signed a one-year pact with the Patriots in March. He did so after setting career highs with the Raiders across 15 games last season. Those games saw the former LSU national champion total 32 tackles along with five sacks and the first forced fumble and interception of his NFL journey. Originally taken by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first round of the 2020 draft at No. 20 overall, Chaisson had joined the Carolina Panthers during the 2024 offseason. But the outside linebacker was let go at the roster deadline last August. He then made his way to the AFC West as part of the practice squad in September. A promotion followed as the calendar turned.
Robert Spillane, linebacker — The Patriots added Spillane to the linebacker depth chart on a three-year, $37.5 million contract in free agency. A spot among the team’s six captains has since been earned. Spillane has appeared in 86 games, starting 50, since entering the league as an undrafted rookie under a familiar Titans staff in 2018. The Western Michigan product went on to spend four seasons with the Steelers. He then headed to Las Vegas in 2023. A veteran of 497 tackles and 8.5 sacks, Spillane’s NFL run has brought one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries, six interceptions and one touchdown return. The 29-year-old was a team captain while a Raider. He started every game during his stay, posting seasons of 148 and 158 tackles, plus 1,101 and 1,095 defensive snaps.
