In this way, Drake Maye now has a more than interesting group of receivers ahead of the upcoming season. The depth chart is now composed of: Kayshon Boutte, DeMario Douglas, Mack Hollins, Efton Chism III, Kyle Williams and the aforementioned Doubs.

The agreement for the incorporation of the now former Packers player is for a total of $60 million over three seasons. A great move by the Patriots’ front office to support Maye.

Doubs was one of the names that sounded the strongest to arrive in New England, being a great desire of Vrabel and his staff. During his time in Green Bay, he had 202 catches and 21 TDs.

Filling the void left by Diggs

Stefon Diggs concluded his 2025 campaign with 85 receptions, 1,013 yards, and 4 touchdowns, maintaining his status as a high-volume threat. To successfully fill the void left by such a productive veteran, Romeo Doubs must build on his recent performance of 55 catches, 724 yards, and 6 touchdowns.

While Diggs excelled in total yardage, Doubs showed superior efficiency in the red zone; therefore, his path to becoming a true replacement lies in increasing his overall target share to match the consistent 1,000-yard production that Diggs provided.

The QB room is perhaps one of the most important pillars in a team’s structure in this league, and Mike Vrabel has secured Tommy DeVito as Maye’s primary backup for at least the next two years.

“New England reached agreement today with QB Tommy DeVito on a two-year, $7.4 million deal that includes $2 million guaranteed, per his agent Sean Stellato,” the insider Adam Schefter revealed on X.

It will be a matter of watching how events continue to unfold in New England to see which other reinforcements join the team and which players, unfortunately, will not return for the upcoming season.

Rumors of moves in Foxborough

Following the team’s recent AFC Championship run and Super Bowl LX appearance, the New England Patriots’ front office is aggressively retooling their roster to better support young quarterback Drake Maye.

The most significant move in this strategy was the Stefon Diggs release, a calculated decision to avoid a massive $26.5 million cap hit and gain nearly $17 million in flexibility.

With the Patriots salary cap in 2026 projected to be among the healthiest in the league despite a rising league-wide limit of over $301 million, rumors are swirling about high-profile replacements.

Speculation has reached a fever pitch regarding a potential trade for A.J. Brown, who has strong ties to head coach Mike Vrabel, as well as interest in veteran star Mike Evans and explosive playmaker Travis Etienne to revitalize the offense for another title run.

During the 2025 season, Mack Hollins became an important part of Drake Maye’s offense. Unfortunately, he missed the final two regular-season games due to a lacerated spleen suffered in December, which impacted his final statistics.

Hollins had 46 receptions before suffering the injury and needed just four more to secure a significant bonus. Despite falling short of that mark, the Patriots chose to recognize his performance by awarding him the incentive anyway.

Mack Hollins secures $400,000 incentive despite not reaching reception mark

When Hollins signed his contract with the Patriots in 2025, it included a $400,000 incentive if he reached 50 receptions during the regular season. He finished with 46, but New England still granted him the bonus.

On Friday, the Patriots restructured Hollins’ contract by converting that $400,000 into a signing bonus. The organization believes he likely would have surpassed the 50-catch threshold had he not suffered the injury and wanted to reward his effort throughout the season.

Hollins returned for the postseason and played a key role in helping the Patriots reach Super Bowl LX. For that reason, the team believes the move reflects both his impact and his value heading into 2026.

New England has built a formidable offense around Drake Maye

Drake Maye showed significant improvement in 2025, thanks in large part to the front office strengthening the roster around him. The offense looks promising, and expectations are high for the upcoming season.

Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins, TreVeyon Henderson, and Hunter Henry are the primary weapons at Maye’s disposal, giving fans reason to believe the Patriots could make another deep postseason run in the upcoming campaign.

At the beginning of 2021, Chiefs Kingdom suffered a crushing defeat against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in Super Bowl LV, in what was a clear display of defensive dominance over Mahomes. In response, Tyrann Mathieu quickly revealed the path the franchise chose to take from that point on—an approach that, according to the safety, the Pats should emulate.

“New England should take sort of the Kansas City Chiefs approach. After we lost [the Super Bowl]… the very next day, they got new offensive linemen… You gotta be able to protect the product.”

The words of the three-time Pro Bowler naturally come in the wake of what were perhaps somewhat excessive criticisms of rookie Will Campbell, who was the main target of the loss. For this reason, Mathieu emphasizes that the Patriots must act quickly to better protect their QB.

Wins and losses for Mathieu

Tyrann Mathieu has appeared in two Super Bowls, winning Super Bowl LIV with the Kansas City Chiefs and falling short in Super Bowl LV the following year. Known as “The Honey Badger,” his defensive leadership was instrumental in the Chiefs’ 2020 comeback victory against the 49ers, though he couldn’t repeat the feat against Tom Brady’s Buccaneers in 2021.

Patriots looking to learn from their loss

Following their Super Bowl LX appearance, the New England Patriots are expected to prioritize Drake Maye’s protection this offseason after he was sacked an NFL-record 21 times during the 2025 playoffs.

To shore up the offensive line, the front office will likely use their first-round pick (No. 31) on high-end tackle prospects like Monroe Freeling or Caleb Lomu, while also exploring free agency for a veteran guard to stabilize the interior.

Despite the emergence of young left tackle Will Campbell, head coach Mike Vrabel is looking for “bookend” support and depth to ensure Maye remains healthy and productive for the 2026 campaign.

“I like the foundation of it, and we’ll try to improve on it,” the latest Coach of the Year said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. Prior to Vrabel’s arrival, the Pats posted back-to-back 4–13 records, but in his most recent campaign, the script flipped entirely: 14 wins and just three losses.

While the level the team displayed throughout the regular season — and even into the postseason — was far superior to some of its rivals, the head coach knows several changes are coming from here on out in order to improve the results.

“There’ll be some difficult decisions that we’ll have to make, and we’ll try to do them with the team’s best interest in mind. As always, that’ll never change,” the former Titans coach also added.

Preparing for what’s next

Building a competitive roster to best support Drake Maye has become imperative for this team, with the offensive line perhaps standing out as its Achilles’ heel. Vrabel understands the business of the NFL well, which is why he knows exactly how to approach this new process.

“As I was taught, we talk about the business of the NFL, we’re looking for the better, younger, cheaper player every day, and the players that we have are trying to not let that happen,” Vrabel said. “And that’s the dynamic. That’s the business of the National Football League.”

Even in moments when the franchise must recover from the recent defeat in Santa Clara, the Patriots’ front office and coaching staff have no intention of resting and are already thinking about building the future team in Foxborough.

After a challenging rookie season in 2024, Maye made significant strides in 2025. He led New England to Super Bowl LX and, despite the loss, gave fans reason to believe the franchise may have finally found Tom Brady’s long-term successor.

The Patriots recognize the importance of maintaining that upward trajectory. As a result, they ensured continuity by keeping quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant, who was instrumental in Maye’s growth and transformation into a more polished and confident starter.

Which team was interested in Ashton Grant?

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Media, the Las Vegas Raiders expressed interest in interviewing Ashton Grant for their vacant offensive coordinator position. However, the Patriots blocked the request, as they are determined to retain him for at least another season.

Grant currently serves as the Patriots’ quarterbacks coach and is widely viewed as a key factor behind Drake Maye’s significant improvement in 2025. It was his first year in the role after joining the organization alongside head coach Mike Vrabel.

Prior to Grant’s arrival, Maye worked with T.C. McCartney under former head coach Jerod Mayo. During the 2024 season, Maye finished with a 3–9 record and a 55.2 QBR. In 2025, his performance took a major leap, leading New England to a 14–3 record and a Super Bowl appearance, while posting a 77.1 QBR in the regular season.

Campbell was one of the most heavily criticized Patriots players after Super Bowl LX. The rookie left tackle had a difficult night against the Seahawks’ defensive line, but he has since provided context for his performance.

According to Mark Daniels of MassLive.com, Campbell revealed that he played the last part of the 2025 NFL season with a torn ligament in his knee. While he acknowledged that he underperformed on the biggest stage, the lingering injury may explain why he lacked full confidence and mobility during the Super Bowl.

New England needs a stronger offensive line

Throughout the 2025 season, Drake Maye was among the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL. That issue was magnified in Super Bowl LX, where he was taken down seven times—clear evidence that the Patriots’ offensive line remains a major concern.

Although Campbell, who refused to speak to media after Super Bowl LX, allowed 14 pressures, the most he gave up in any game during the 2025 campaign, he was not solely responsible for the protection breakdowns. The struggles extended across the entire offensive line, highlighting a unit that requires significant improvement heading into 2026.

There is no question that Drake Maye has the talent to be a franchise quarterback. However, NFL history is filled with gifted signal-callers whose careers were hindered by poor offensive line play—just ask Joe Burrow or Justin Herbert. If the Patriots want Maye to succeed long term, fixing the offensive line must be a top priority.

“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.

“This Drake Maye tape is worse than I thought. There were wide open guys everywhere — even when he had time, he just wasn’t seeing it. It was the definition of a ‘seeing ghosts’ game,” Benkert wrote on X (@kurtbenkert) while sharing his analysis.

Benkert reviewed nearly every snap Maye took during the Patriots’ offensive drives in Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks and noted that in several situations, especially when he was sacked, Maye failed to think quickly and get rid of the ball to avoid losing yardage.

Sacks hurt Maye

In his analysis, Benkert explains that despite having other passing options to avoid taking a sack or losing a down, Maye simply was not seeing his receivers downfield when they were open. That’s why the six sacks he took during the Super Bowl were so damaging for the Patriots.

On multiple plays, according to Benkert’s breakdown, it was clear that Maye failed to recognize his best passing option, a wide receiver left wide open, instead locking his eyes on the more difficult throw that was covered by one or even two Seahawks defenders.

“I just don’t know what’s going on,” Benkert said in his analysis while detailing how Maye missed so many easy layups against a Seahawks defense that, while tough, was far from perfect in the Super Bowl, where the Patriots quarterback lost 43 yards due to sacks.

“I shot it up, so not much feeling,” Maye admitted to taking a pain-killing injection on his injured right shoulder, via ESPN. “It was good to go, and it felt all right.” Despite Maye playing with a dormant shoulder and admittedly being comfortable with it, he may have been affected by the injury throughout Super Bowl LX.

Either way—fully healthy or not—Maye and the Patriots were always facing a steep climb against the Seahawks’ defensive unit. If New England allowed Seattle to build any momentum, it would be all she wrote for the Patriots.

By ending the first half with an egg on the board—and remaining scoreless until the fourth quarter—the game was effectively over long before the clock hit zero at Levi’s Stadium. As a result, the Patriots’ quarterback bit the bullet after the game. In that regard, Maye made something clear to Vrabel and New England about his mistakes in Super Bowl LX, admitting he would love to go back and start from scratch.

Patriots couldn’t silence the narrative

Going into Super Bowl LX, there were no doubts on how great this Seahawks team was. The only question mark floated over Sam Darnold, who was still drawing skepticism around the league. As Darnold lifted his first Super Bowl at 28, he put all those claims to rest. However, the same can’t be said about Maye and the Patriots, who may have just proven the critics right.

Aside from their road win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 5, the Patriots didn’t really have a true statement victory during the 2025 NFL season. Yes, they deserve credit for reaching the Super Bowl in Mike Vrabel’s first year as head coach—and after finishing 4–13 in 2024—but their path to Super Bowl LX came with several asterisks. New England’s defense carried much of the load throughout the postseason.

The path to the Super Bowl

In the Divisional Round, Maye and the offense could barely move the football, yet the Patriots were led to victory by their defense as C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans’ offense imploded.

The AFC Championship Game should have served as a true litmus test for Maye and the Pats, as they faced another elite defensive unit. However, once again, there was an asterisk: Bo Nix missed the game with a season-ending injury, forcing Jarrett Stidham to make his first start since the 2023 season.

If critics were searching for yet another reason to discount New England’s run, that matchup was played in blizzard conditions, which shut down both offenses in the second half. The Patriots scored just 10 points, and it was enough to win.

Day and night differences

No other team in the 2025 NFL Playoffs scored fewer than 20 points in a postseason victory—except the Patriots, who also managed only 16 points in their Wild Card triumph over the Los Angeles Chargers. Across the postseason, New England totaled just 67 points.

Meanwhile, the Seahawks scored 101 points—despite resting during Wild Card Weekend. Defense wins championships, and Seattle proved it in Super Bowl LX. But make no mistake: the Seahawks’ defense and special teams are effectively another way for them to score, not merely to hold opponents in check.

Patriots left tackle Will Campbell declined multiple times to talk to media reporters and left the locker room in radio silence, according to reports from Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. Many on the media and different socials blamed Campbell for the Super Bowl loss.

Campbell was a fourth overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was poised to be the best left tackle of the class and a name that would protect Drake Maye. However, that was not the case, and it seems like he knows it.

How bad was Campbell?

According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Campbell allowed 14 pressures in Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks. That is the most pressures allowed by any offensive lineman in any game during the whole 2025 NFL season. Campbell looked hesitant and nervous all game.

It didn’t help that the Patriots faced four top-six defenses during their postseason run. Hence, Campbell was constantly exposed despite the Patriots being able to win those games. It all came to a halt in the Super Bowl LX, where the Seahawks dominated Campbell plenty of times.

Campbell might still have a future in the NFL

The biggest weakness in Campbell is the fact that he has very short arms for a tackle. However, Campbell might have a future as a guard instead of a tackle. As a guard, his arms-length are not such an issue.

In fact, Will Campbell played as guard too during his college days with LSU. So, if the Patriots manage to sign or draft an actual great tackle, they could move Cambpell to guard and probably save his career.