The New England Patriots got pasted in the Super Bowl by the Seattle Seahawks, 29-13. It was a disappointing end to a Cinderella-like season for Mike Vrabel's team. One player whose performance wasn't as expected was MVP-level quarterback Drake Maye. He had a mediocre game with two turnovers.
Yet, his top 2025 receiver Stefon Diggs still had the young player's back after the game.
Maye's efforts have to be asterisked, as they are a key aspect of the entire offense's effort. He was sacked another six times in the Super Bowl to add to the 15 in the previous three games. No quarterback is likely to be able to perform up to par with an offensive line that can't protect him.
The dismal sack-surrendering stat is a clear mandate for Vrabel in the 2026 offseason. The 2025 O-line was always a stopgap, patchwork affair. While Vrabel added four new starters to Mike Onwenu, the results were not good enough, no matter how far the team went in the playoffs.
Surrendering 47 sacks in the regular season and then another 21 in the playoffs isn't a prescription for bringing home the Lombardi Trophy.
Stefon Diggs is proud Drake Maye despite the devastating ending to the season
It's a testament to his being a great teammate that Stefon Diggs has stepped up to bolster his 23-year-old quarterback, Drake Maye. Diggs has been a terrific leader for a young team that far exceeded almost anyone's expectations in 2025.
MassLive's Mark Daniels quoted Patriots' wide receiver Stefon Diggs who sent some solid words of encouragement to his young quarterback,
“'Keep going. Steph Curry. Keep shooting,' Diggs said after the game, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels. 'He’s 23 years old. It’s a team effort. From my standpoint, I wish I could’ve done more. It’s hard playing quarterback.
It’s not a one-man band. He has a supporting cast. We needed to do a better job supporting him. He’s young, he did what he could, fought long, fought hard… I’m just super proud of him.”
The quotes from Diggs demonstrate that a loss is a team issue, and doesn't fall onto the shoulders of any one player, no matter how singularly important they are, like the quarterback. It's still a collective effort, and as Diggs suggests, his teammates let him down.
The Patriots need another revamp in the 2026 offseason
The 2025 roster rebuilding was never going to be a long-term solution. There's only so much a coach and personnel evaluator, even one as astute as Vrabel, can do in one offseason. There is only so much cap space and so many draft picks available to rebuild a worst-in-the-NFL roster in one go-around.
The good news is that Maye and Diggs will both be back in 2026. The top priority for Vrabel will be to once again add major pieces to an offensive line that couldn't protect Maye. Vrabel has stated that Will Campbell will remain the left tackle, though he surrendered two sacks and 14 pressures against Seattle.
It was a dismal performance by the rookie, who may still have been hampered by a lingering knee injury.
Nevertheless, Vrabel will have to add several new pieces to the O-line this offseason. They must include a tackle, a guard, and maybe even a center. Diggs' support for Drake Maye and Maye's return to full fitness after his shoulder is healed (and that was absolutely an issue in the playoffs) is all well and good for team morale. But it's not enough.
If Vrabel can't reduce the sacks surrendered in 2026, it won't matter. The 2026 schedule will be a tough one for a Division winner against better teams this season. Stefon Diggs' support for Maye is terrific. Yet, if Vrabel can't fix the O-line issues through the draft and free agency, and Maye is flat on his back all too often, as he was in 2025, the results will be similarly disappointing.