The New England Patriots are approaching the 2026 season. There are reasons to be optimistic about their chances. Alternatively, several factors could derail the team. The most critical is the depth issues that even Mike Vrabel has candidly cited.
On the positive side, it all starts with dynamic young quarterback Drake Maye, whom Bleacher Report's Moe Moton has singled out as the team's fans' best reason to be hopeful.
Moton's choice is no great revelation. Any NFL team's fate starts and ends with the quarterback position: if you don't have at least a good (if not a great) one, you're out-of-luck.
Thus, it's no surprise whatsoever that Moton chose Maye as the Patriots' brightest light and the team's proverbial ace-in-the-hole.
The New England Patriots have a rising superstar quarterback to rely on, even with a weak offensive line
Drake Maye should have won the NFL's 2025 MVP award. Only one sympathy vote for the aging yet still very productive Rams veteran, Matthew Stafford, kept him from that distinction in just his second season in the NFL. He earned the award, yet some obtuse thinking denied it to him.
Maye is arguably one of the NFL's best passers, and the only thing keeping him from being the best quarterback outright is his protection. B/R's Moton states why the Patriots' fanbase should be hopeful because of Maye, in case anyone in the region, or anywhere else on the planet, for that matter, isn't fully cognizant of that fact.
"New England Patriots: Drake Maye is coming off an MVP-worthy year, and the Patriots significantly upgraded his wide receiver corps with the addition of three-time Pro Bowler A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs to help him navigate a much tougher schedule."
His comment makes absolute sense. When you have the de facto, if not the actual, MVP quarterback on your team, you should always be hopeful. The team had that for two decades with Tom Brady, and Maye is following right in the GOAT's footsteps.
And the best thing about all this is that Maye has just turned 24, is still maturing, and is a long way from his prime. If that doesn't strike fear into not only the AFC East but any other AFC or NFC team, they're living in La-La Land.
The Patriots' offensive line remains a question at the start of the 2026 season
The real issue that could come back to haunt whoever is actually making the team's personnel decisions is still Maye's supporting cast. The two overarching objectives of every offseason when you have a quarterback of Maye's ilk are to make certain that his protection is top-of-the-NFL level and that his receivers are the cream of the crop.
The Patriots failed to ensure this offseason on the O-line, but they did go a long way toward it with the receiver room.
There are still too many questions on the offensive line. Even in the best-case scenario, it's thin. There are health questions about the starting five, and there's no NFL-quality depth behind them. This is a real issue, not an imaginary one, no matter how some observers try to gloss it over.
Conversely, with the trade for A.J. Brown and the signing of free agent Romeo Doubs, the team strengthened the wide receiver room substantially. If the O-line stays healthy (a very "iffy" proposition in any season) and their injury-prone left guard, Alijah Vera-Tucker, can stay on the field, they could be just fine.
But behind Vera-Tucker and the rest of the O-line, there's little quality NFL depth to rely on. That's a situation that should never happen on a team with a star quarterback like Drake Maye.
The Patriots are now trying to scrape together backup O-line additions after roster cuts. Regardless, they still risk the season if they have even one major injury to an O-line starter. If they have two, Maye will scramble for his life on just about every play.
Fortunately, the star third-year player is a master at making something happen out of the worst broken plays using his legs. It's a good thing, since that may be the only thing that saves the team, if it doesn't get lucky with injuries on the 2026 offensive line.
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