The New England Patriots will square off on September 9 against the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch. It will be the first test of Head Coach Mike Vrabel's second season. The Patriots sought to remedy the shortcomings evident in the Super Bowl loss this offseason.
They did some positive things, and they lead to a prediction of a super season for quarterback, Drake Maye.
In 2025, with a porous offensive line and a mediocre receiver room, he still led his team to a 14-3 regular season record and all the way to the final game against the Seahawks. By that time, however, an injured throwing shoulder had greatly limited his effectiveness. In the Super Bowl, his offensive line allowed six sacks.
That and three offensive turnovers ended any hope of a positive end to the season.
In 2026, even Coach Vrabel has commented that the 2026 team is not deep. He's right. Yet, one thing in his favor is his now third-year quarterback, the maturing Drake Maye. He's a difference-maker, no matter who's on the field with him.
The upgrades the team did make lead to a prediction of a massive season for Maye, if he can stay healthy.
New England Patriots Drake Maye is MVP-bound in 2026
Drake Maye narrowly missed winning the NFL's 2025 MVP award by one vote. Except for touchdown passes (the margin between him and the MVP, the Rams' Matthew Stafford was 46-31), and yards passing (4707 for Stafford and 4394 for Maye), the young Patriot outhrew Stafford easily.
His completion percentage, with a far less talented wide receiving corps and offensive line, outpaced Stafford 72 percent to 65 percent. Maye led the league in passer rating, as well.
While Vrabel's efforts to fix the offensive line were a mixed bag, his overhaul of the wide receiver room was stellar. He added a Pro Bowl or better No. 1 receiver, A.J. Brown in a blockbuster trade, and signed an upgrade at the No. 2 spot in free agent Romeo Doubs.
If the O-line can reduce sacks, quarterback hits, and hurries totals, Maye will rip the 2026 NFL to shreds.
With more time to pass, expect Maye to up his touchdown passes to 40 or more and run for about five more, a combined touchdown production total of 45. He'll also throw for 5000 plus yards. In addition, the only thing keeping Maye from shattering the NFL's all-time single season completion percentage record set at 74.4 percent in 2018 by Drew Brees, is clean pockets.
If he gets them, Maye might just shatter that Brees' record in 2026, too.
Those predicted stats would signify a huge season. Adding Brown and Doubs to his dynamic running back duo of Rhamondre Stevenson and Treveyon Stevenson, will upgrade the offense significantly.
Yet, while his success will still depend on his protection, fortunately, Maye can scramble under pressure. He's expected to find a way, as he always seemed to do in 2025 prior to his injury, to get his team wins.
Expect Maye to deliver a monster season, and his 2026 team to win big again.
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