Ranking the 8 greatest prodigal son returns for Patriots
New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick likes what he knows.
He isn’t the kind of guy always aiming to reinvent the wheel or create a massive shake-up. If something has worked for him in the past, there’s a good chance he’ll give it another try down the line.
That’s the basic philosophy behind the Patriots’ tendency to bring back past players in a pinch.
New England is a revolving door of past Patriots that have sought opportunities elsewhere, only to return to the same place where they made a name for themselves. In many ways, New England is a place where names are born, leave and come back to be recognized all over again.
Here are the top eight prodigal son returns for the Patriots in the Belichick era.
CB J.C. Jackson
J.C. Jackson went from undrafted rookie to No. 1 cornerback for the Patriots. His rapid improvement in the defensive backfield is one of the main reasons why Belichick was so comfortable in moving on from former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
But of course, the time ran out on Jackson’s rookie deal, and the Patriots wanted a team-friendly discount. The likelihood of a deal coming to fruition dwindled as Jackson was suddenly recognized as one of the best defensive players in the league. He even landed at No. 20 in the NFL’s “Top 100 players of 2022” list.
It remains to be seen what kind of impact Jackson has in his return to New England. So he comes in at No. 8 on this list.
The Los Angeles Chargers came kicking the door down with a five-year, $82 million contract offer, and just like that, Jackson’s time in New England was done. It was obviously a short break-up with the former All-Pro cornerback returning to New England after a quickly failed effort in Los Angeles.
CB Malcolm Butler
There’s a good chance the Patriots only have five Super Bowls if not for Malcolm Butler’s jaw-dropping interception play to end the run of Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl XLIX.
But Butler wasn’t just a one-hit wonder for the Patriots. He fought hard going from undrafted rookie corner to Pro Bowler, and eventually, he earned an All-Pro nod in the NFL.
When his rookie contract came due, he made the decision to sign a five-year, $61 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. However, things quickly fizzled out, and he eventually found himself on the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad, before ultimately re-signing with the Patriots in 2022.
Sadly, he never took the field for a regular season game for his former team again. He was placed on injured reserve and then released after initially deciding to come out of retirement.
DL Trey Flowers
Trey Flowers, who was one of the Super Bowl LI heroes, found his way back to New England after spending the previous three seasons with the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins.
His run outside of New England was mostly derailed by injuries and struggles living up to the five-year, $90 million contract he received from Detroit.
However, with the Patriots, Flowers was an effective pass-rusher that made a habit of showing up in big-game moments. He’s another defensive player that clearly had more success in Belichick’s defensive system than he did anywhere else.
OL Trent Brown
Trent Brown was not originally a Patriot.
The former seventh-round draft pick for the San Francisco 49ers found a home in New England on the final year of his rookie contract in 2018. He stepped in as a strong replacement for quarterback Tom Brady’s previous blindside protector, Nate Solder.
After winning Super Bowl LIII with the Patriots, Brown landed a monster four-year, $66 million deal with the Oakland Raiders. However, things quickly unraveled after a promising start, and Brown once again found himself in New England after a swap of draft picks in a trade between the two teams.
LB Kyle Van Noy
Kyle Van Noy was an instant hit after being traded to the Patriots back in 2016. He started making plays in Belichick’s defense the moment he got on the field.
In only his third game as a Patriot, he managed to snag the first interception of his career, along with providing a steady pass-rushing presence on the defensive front.
Van Noy stuck with the Patriots for four seasons before signing a four-year, $51 million deal to join the rival Miami Dolphins in 2020. That opportunity only took a year to run its course before Van Noy was released and ultimately given an opportunity to rejoin New England in 2021.
He is currently playing for the Baltimore Ravens.
WR Deion Branch
Deion Branch, a former two-time Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl XXXIX MVP, bet on himself and was ultimately traded to the Seattle Seahawks by the Patriots.
His run with the Seahawks wasn’t anywhere near as productive as he was catching passes from Brady in New England. Fortunately, the door for his return never closed, and he finally returned home for a second stint with the Patriots after being traded back by the Seahawks.
Brady was obviously happy with the move considering Branch had been one of his more reliable receiving targets over the years.
LB Jamie Collins
Jamie Collins has had three separate stints with the Patriots.
He was initially drafted by the team in 2013 and went on to help them win Super Bowl XLIX. His contract would ultimately become a problem, and the Patriots opted to trade him away to the Cleveland Browns for a conditional third-round draft pick, instead of taking the risk of losing him for nothing.
Collins ultimately signed a four-year extension with the Browns for $50 million, but he wouldn’t see the end of it. A disappointing run in Cleveland ended with him being released and picked back up by the Patriots in 2019 on a one-year deal.
He proved he was a perfect scheme fit for Belichick’s defense and played well enough to earn himself a three-year, $30 million contract from the Detroit Lions. However, once again, his run outside of New England didn’t go according to plan, and he was ultimately released a year later.
Collins re-signed with New England in 2021 and finished out his career as a Patriot.
S Patrick Chung
After playing out his rookie contract with the Patriots, safety Patrick Chung sought greener pastures in the NFC by signing with the Philadelphia Eagles on a three-year, $10 million deal.
The Eagles ultimately released Chung a year into the deal, which freed up the opportunity for him to reconnect with Belichick and re-sign with the Patriots.
During his second run with the Patriots, Chung won three Super Bowls and became one of the Patriots’ All-Dynasty Team members. He didn’t necessarily receive a bunch of solo accolades, but every Patriots’ longtime fan knows how important he was to the franchise.
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