The New England Patriots look to contend in the 2026-27 NFL season, as they did last year when they lost the Super Bowl to the Seattle Seahawks, but they will aim to replicate and exceed what they accomplished with Drake Maye.
Maye is expected to be a key player once again as the Patriots look to establish themselves as a dominant team in the AFC East. However, with the start of the 2026 NFL season drawing closer, he is focused on helping his teammates improve rather than chasing personal accolades.
“I’m focused on leaping each and every day,” he responded via CLNS Media when asked about making a leap from his year two performance to his third. “I’m trying to get better. How can I get better? And the more you get better each and every day, I feel like whatever you guys call a leap, whatever happens, happens. Trying to trump 14-3…that would be a big leap for us. We have to take it one week at a time; I’m looking for our team to make a leap, really, instead of me.”
Maye as a key piece
Since he arrived in the NFL, his performance has shown steady upward progress. Selected by the Patriots with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft out of North Carolina, Maye has already demonstrated what he is capable of doing.
Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots looks on during the first quarter.
He had a tremendous campaign in 2025 (rookie season), completing 72% of his passes (354 of 492) for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while throwing just eight interceptions.
He also added 450 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 103 carries, and he ultimately earned Second-Team All-Pro honors and his second Pro Bowl selection. So far in his NFL career, he has amassed 6,670 passing yards with 46 touchdowns and a 69.8 percent completion rate.
What’s next for the Patriots and Maye
Maye will begin his second full season as the Patriots’ starting quarterback in one of the NFL’s most demanding environments. The Patriots visit the Seattle Seahawks on Wednesday, opening what many view as a revenge game of sorts in Mike Vrabel’s second season, featuring a nationally televised rematch of Super Bowl XLIX.
