The New England Patriots will start the 2026 season with little mystery about who will run the offense. Drake Maye has moved from promising young quarterback to the player New England expects to lead its push for another deep postseason run. That status also shaped one of Mike Vrabel’s biggest preseason decisions.
Now, with the regular season arriving, the Patriots are ready to find out whether the unusual approach pays off.
Mike Vrabel Explains Drake Maye’s Preseason Absence
Maye will enter the regular season without taking a preseason snap, a choice that leads to obvious questions as New England prepares for its September 9 opener against the Seattle Seahawks. Rather than treating the decision as a gamble, Vrabel said the coaching staff made the call based on what it believed was best for the team.
“No, it was just a decision that we felt like was best for the football team,” Vrabel told “WEEI 93.7 FM” when asked whether the plan had been set from the start.
The Patriots still gave Maye, who posted the best impact score (91.8) on PFN’s QB Metric last season, plenty of work in practice.
He took part in roughly 84 full-team reps across three joint practices with the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, giving him extended opportunities to work against opposing defenses without exposing him to preseason game contact.
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Vrabel also acknowledged that Maye could have some rust when the season begins, but he did not view exhibition games as the answer. “I mean, there could be rust, there could be rain or shine. I’m not really sure,” Vrabel said. “But we’ll have to just prepare really well and go out there and continue to work.”
The head coach also pointed to the difference between preseason football and what awaits in Seattle. “Nothing that we do in the preseason is going to prepare us for the first game in Seattle,” Vrabel said, citing the challenge of playing in a difficult road environment.
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Maye’s development also includes greater control at the line of scrimmage. Vrabel said the quarterback exercised that freedom during joint practices and has built a strong working relationship with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
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The coach wants Maye to change plays when the defense presents a better option, but he does not want the quarterback to force adjustments simply for the sake of being creative.
Vrabel also pushed back, with some humor, on the idea that Maye now understands the “why” behind every offensive decision. Asked about Devin McCourty’s assessment, Vrabel joked, “Devin must be a better defensive player than I was because I didn’t know what the offensive coaches were coaching him.”
With Maye leading a revamped offense featuring A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and Hunter Henry, the Patriots have made their choice clear. They are counting on preparation, practice work, and Maye’s growth to carry him into Week 1 without the benefit of preseason snaps.
