6 Rings and Football Things

Meghan Ottolini and Rich Keefe are joined by Patriots offensive lineman Mike Onwenu and special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer on a Patriots Friday ahead of the season opener in Seattle.

The 2026 season opens in less than a week, and Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots remain far apart in their contract negotiations. Following comments from Mike Vrabel and Gonzalez on Thursday, is it time to worry about Gonzalez’s Week 1 availability? Meghan Ottolini and Justin Turpin discuss. Plus, should anything be made of Gonzalez not being named a captain? And is the Vrabel/Russini situation officially in the rearview?

The 2026 season officially kicks off a week from Wednesday, with the Patriots traveling to Seattle for a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks. As they prepare for Week 1, what is the biggest concern on the roster, and is too much being made of the Patriots’ lack of depth? Meghan Ottolini and Justin Turpin discuss.

Plus, another reason why the Patriots need to get the Christian Gonzalez deal done.

A lot has been made about the Patriots’ depth since Mike Vrabel’s comments last week. Just how big of a concern is it?

Plus, the latest report from Adam Schefter on Christian Gonzalez and his potential contract extension is ... not great.

Justin Turpin joined WEEI’s Rich and Ken with Ted Johnson to break it all down.

Patriots defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr joins Rich Keefe and Meghan Ottolini to discuss what excites him most about the defense heading into the 2026 season, the standouts from training camp, Kevin Byard’s impact, and more.