Pats Pulpit
The connections on the coaching staffs range from Pete Carroll, Patrick Graham, Tyrone McKenzie and Bob Bicknell to Josh McDaniels, Terrell Williams, Todd Downing and Doug Marrone. And you also may have heard of the retired quarterback with a statue and an ownership stake.
But there’s familiarity on the field between the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders, too. The active rosters and practice squads currently include nine players who have suited up for both sides of the 2025 season opener.
Here’s a glance through the former Patriots and former Raiders heading into Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium.
Jakobi Meyers, wide receiver — Meyers reportedly requested a trade prior to the NFL’s 53-man roster deadline in August and is due a base salary of $10.5 million in the last year of his deal. Since signing with the Raiders in 2023, the 28-year-old wideout has caught 158 passes for 1,834 yards and 12 touchdowns across 31 starts. The 1,000-yard mark was reached last season. Entering the league as an undrafted free agent out of North Carolina State in 2019, Meyers amassed 235 catches for 2,758 yards and eight touchdowns across 60 games with the Patriots. The former quarterback received the team’s Ed Block Courage Award, threw a pair of touchdowns and led the offense in receiving yards for three consecutive campaigns.
Atonio Mafi, guard — After signing with the Raiders at the start of training camp in July, Mafi was retained on the practice squad at its formation. The 24-year-old interior lineman stands 20 games into his NFL career. It got underway with the Patriots in the fifth round of the 2023 draft at No. 144 overall. The UCLA product appeared in every contest during his rookie season, starting a handful, before being waived the following August. He spent 2024 between the practice squad and active roster of the Indianapolis Colts and went unclaimed in May.
Adam Butler, defensive tackle — A former Vanderbilt convert to the defensive side of the ball, Butler entered the league as part of New England’s 2017 undrafted class. He went on to appear in 63 games, starting a dozen, while tallying 96 tackles, 15 sacks and nine batted passes. After being retained on a restricted tender in 2020, Super Bowl LIII champion headed to the other side of the AFC East in free agency. Butler was released by the Miami Dolphins following a failed physical in 2022 and spent the year out of football. The 31-year-old has since found a home in Las Vegas, logging 34 games, 16 starts, 93 tackles, 10 sacks and a pair of forced fumbles over the past pair of seasons.
Elandon Roberts, linebacker — The Raiders reached a one-year deal with Roberts in March. The 31-year-old downhill thumper stands 140 games and 105 starts into his NFL run. Out of Morgan State and Houston, the run began with the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2016 draft at No. 214 overall. Roberts...
