Just hours after ESPN’s Mike Reiss sounded fairly confident Jaylinn Hawkins would be remaining in New England, it appears things have taken a dramatic turn.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Hawkins is planning to sign a 2-year deal with the Ravens worth $10 million.
That’s a tough blow to New England, which suddenly has a pretty significant need in its secondary.
Reiss appeared on Toucher & Rich on 98.5 The Sports Hub on Wednesday, and he sounded optimistic that a deal was going to get done.
“I think it’s important, John [Wallach], and I think they’re still working at that,” said Reiss on a new Hawkins deal. “I don’t know where that stands right now, but I know, as we’ve heard Hawkins publicly say, he’d love to come back. Not sure why that isn’t done yet, but maybe something that unfolds today.”
Reiss added that, “One way or the other,” we might soon have an answer.
He was right, just not in the way he initially might have thought. Instead, it looks like Hawkins is moving on.
The veteran finished the regular season with six passes defended, good for 4th on the team behind Marcus Jones (11), Christian Gonzalez (10), and Carlton Davis (10). He also led the team in interceptions with four.
He was also one of the Patriots’ most reliable players, playing 92.1% of the defensive snaps through 15 of the Patriots’ 17 regular-season games, along with 838 snaps on defense, third most behind Carlton Davis (926) and Craig Woodson (950).
That’s a pretty tough hole to fill. Woodson was terrific all year alongside him, but now they’ll need someone else back there as a replacement in 2026.
It’s definitely surprising, since all indications seemed to be at the end of the season that Hawkins wanted to come back, but clearly something went awry in the negotiations.
For now, Hawkins becomes the 13th player out for the club this offseason, leaving the Patriots forced to look for their next man up. In the meantime, they did sign Bears free agent safety Kevin Byard to a 1-year, $9 million deal on Wednesday.
Byard finished the 2025 season second on the team in tackles for Chicago, along with seven interceptions and eight passes defended. He also had two tackles for a loss in the postseason for the Bears back in January.
🔍 Questions Answered in This Article
Where did Jaylinn Hawkins sign?
Jaylinn Hawkins is planning to sign a 2-year deal with the Ravens.
What are the terms of Jaylinn Hawkins' deal with the Ravens?
Jaylinn Hawkins' deal with the Ravens is worth $10 million over two years.
What was Jaylinn Hawkins' impact on the Patriots' defense?
Hawkins led the Patriots with four interceptions and played 92.1% of defensive snaps. He finished with six passes defended, ranking fourth on the team.
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
