The New England Patriots shocked the NFL in 2025 by winning the AFC East Division and advancing to the Super Bowl. They were a team coming off a 4-win season with a quarterback in his second year and a first-year head coach.
There was excitement about the direction the Patriots were headed, but not even fans of the team expected a Super Bowl run in 2025. Now, signal-caller Drake Maye is using that as fuel for 2026 and going forward.
Quarterback Drake Maye ‘Humbled’ By Super Bowl Loss, Knows Getting Back Isn’t Easy
After NFL legend Tom Brady departed New England in 2020, the Patriots had a losing season for four of the next five years.
That included back-to-back 4-13 seasons in Bill Belichick’s final year and Jerod Mayo’s only year. Then Mike Vrabel took over in 2025, and the change was instant.
Maye showed promise during his rookie year, despite the terrible record and poor assets around him. Vrabel brought offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels back to New England, where he’s won six Super Bowls.
The pairing was perfect with Maye last season as the second-year quarterback completed a league-high 72.0% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, and added 450 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The Patriots paired a spectacular season from their QB with a ferocious defense to win 14 games and ride that to the Super Bowl. However, New England fell short in the big game. But Maye is focused on learning and growing from the experience.
“I think that’s the biggest thing about it: It’s humbling. You’ve got to get back to work. When you’re so close and within reach, you want that feeling,” Maye said. “Everybody says, ‘You’ll be back.’ It’s not that easy. So, we’ve got to get back to work, and I’m looking forward to trying to prove to myself that I can get back and just have another year to get a chance at it.
Maye delivered a solid outing, and according to PFSN’s QB Impact Metrics, earned a 91.1 QB Impact Score and an A- grade. He ranked No. 2 for the season, highlighting his strong short-term performance. While his overall rank of No. 26 shows room for growth, the numbers reflect an encouraging and impactful display.
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“Everybody’s got the same goal this time of year: to get back to that game,” he added. “I think knowing that we were there and had a chance at it’s just that much more fulfilling for me being able to reach that.”
McDaniels has the reputation of being one of the best offensive coordinators in the game, and the vision is that Maye should only continue to improve with his offensive leadership. If you match that with Vrabel’s defensive expertise, the Patriots could be good for a while.
However, that means no setbacks, injuries to derail seasons, and everyone staying focused. The Patriots are already in headlines this offseason for the rumors swirling around NFL insider Dianna Russini and Vrabel.
If New England can stay focused, they have a roster that can accomplish big things, even though the AFC is loaded with talent.
