Drake Maye witnessed a magical season come to a crushing end in Super Bowl LX. As Stefon Diggs and the rest of the New England Patriots were unable to change the course of NFL history, the sophomore quarterback issued a blunt statement.
“We just have 10 weeks until we’re back here,” Maye said to his teammates during the Patriots’ end of season media availabilties, via ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “That doesn’t sound too far away. It turns around quickly on you. I’m looking forward to it.”
Thus, Maye’s message serves as a clear reminder to his teammates. As much as the 29–13 defeat in Santa Clara stings—and will continue to do so—the 2026 NFL season will arrive sooner than they realize. After finishing 4–13 in 2024 and then reaching the Super Bowl this season, the Patriots may not fully grasp just how much shorter their offseason will be after making it all the way to Super Bowl LX.
Offseason schedule
Although the NFL offseason is known for being extremely long—with fans counting down the days until the start of OTAs and training camp—Maye’s statement is actually accurate.
Unless the Patriots move on from Mike Vrabel—which has virtually no chance of happening—their team workouts cannot begin until the third Monday of April. As a result, Maye and his teammates won’t be back on the field in New England until, at the very least, April 20, 2026.
Diggs’ future, Maye is going up against ghosts
Whether Diggs will be with the team by then, and for the 2026 NFL season as a whole, is a question of its own. As it stands, Diggs made his intentions clear with a four-word message about his future with the Patriots after Super Bowl LX. As long as he remains part of the organization, Diggs will be happy to stay in Foxborough.
As for Maye and the rest of the roster, they already have enough on their plate without having to worry about Diggs’ situation. For Maye, he may now be staring down an NFL curse for the rest of his career.
By losing a Super Bowl in his second season, he has joined a list that includes household names like Dan Marino, Joe Burrow, and Brock Purdy—all of whom lost the biggest game of their careers as sophomores. However, none of them ever made it back to the Super Bowl. While Burrow and Purdy still have time to break the curse, Maye must now strive to do so as soon as possible, before it becomes a lasting narrative around him.