Even with a multitude of changes and upgrades from the New England Patriots’ brutal most recent season, and some outlets even seeing the team making a jump to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, there could be one major roadblock for this team’s chances to make that shift to a top postseason competitor.

In the eyes of Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon, there’s one factor in play for the Patriots’ next season that could leave them coming up short of those goals, and it doesn’t even rely on an internal problem with the roster– it’s simply the surrounding talent in the AFC.

“Even a major stride from a 13-loss 2024 campaign won’t likely be enough in a division featuring the Super Bowl-contending Bills and a conference containing Baltimore, Cincinnati, Kansas City, Denver, Miami, and the Chargers (all of whom have far more talent than New England),” Gagnon wrote.

When taking a step back to look at the talent residing among the AFC, it’s certainly a batch which may prove to be a challenge for the Patriots to navigate through.

Even outside of your usual contenders in the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens, who have been going at it for the past few seasons, the AFC has seen some big improvements across recent months, with a sizable collection of teams who could throw their name in the hat for a playoff bid.

That’s not quite a knock to the Patriots; it’s just a testament to how good the conference can be.

There are certainly signs that could lead to this Patriots roster having the chance to stack up with some of the AFC’s Wild Card-level talents, even if New England may not be on the verge of a division crown just one year after finishing at the bottom of the AFC East.

With a major facelift on the coaching staff, followed by upgrades on both sides of the ball filled with veteran and young talent, New England is primed to have more than four wins to its name during their upcoming 17-game slate, but it remains to be seen just how much they’ll surge forward from just one season ago.

Even without the conference going their way, there’s always room for a surprise team in the mix who defies expectations on any given NFL season.

Perhaps for the Patriots, this could be the year to do just that.