"There was a special interest in how they would perform during a crucial second season for Drake Maye and so far, they have underperformed and drawn a lot of concern about the future. Among the most concerning has been DeMario Douglas, who had an impressive offseason and looked like he could be the WR2 behind Stefon Diggs."
"Because he's not performing up to the level that many hoped he would, much of that can also be attributed to his limited usage, fans have been calling for him to be replaced, particularly with rookie Efton Chism III, who shined during the preseason. Despite that, he has been a healthy scratch to start the year, much to the fans' dismay, but that might change sooner than expected; at least, that's something Mike Vrabel seemed to hint at."
"Mike Vrabel on Efton Chism being inactive: "Just my decision each and every week. We can only get five right now, we're only taking five. That can change each week. He's been working hard in practice. We'll evaluate that each week, what his role could be and how he could help...- Alex Barth (@RealAlexBarth) September 24, 2025"
The Patriots entered 2025 with perceived receiving upgrades but the corps has underperformed, creating concern for offensive development during Drake Maye's critical second season. DeMario Douglas posted an impressive offseason yet has produced below expectations amid limited usage. Fans have advocated replacing or supplementing Douglas with rookie Efton Chism III after Chism's strong preseason showing. Chism has started the year as a healthy scratch, frustrating fans. Head coach Mike Vrabel stated activation and receiver counts are his weekly decisions, confirmed the team currently takes five receivers on game day, and said roles and activations will be evaluated each week.
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