NFL Facing Punishment Decision After Drake Maye Incident

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NFL Facing Punishment Decision After Drake Maye Incident

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Paolo Songco | Last updated Sep 10, 2026 6:03 AM ET

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots kicked off the new NFL season on Wednesday with a Super Bowl rematch against the defending champions, the Seattle Seahawks.

The Seahawks hosted the Patriots at Lumen Field and secured a 13-10 win on opening night. Star quarterback Sam Darnold suffered an injury in Seattle’s first drive and was subsequently ruled out for the rest of the game. Veteran Drew Lock stepped in and completed 16-of-22 passes for 187 yards and one touchdown to Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, it was a forgettable evening for Maye, who had a rough start to the new NFL season. The New England quarterback finished with 23-of-33 completed passes for 178 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. The two-time Pro Bowler was also sacked three times throughout the game.

Maye also rushed seven times for 47 yards. During one of his runs in the first quarter, the Patriots QB was on the receiving end of a personal foul by Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall.

Hall shoved Maye as the latter stepped out of bounds with the ball. It resulted in an unnecessary roughness violation against Hall, prompting an automatic 15-yard penalty.

Seahawks called for a personal foul for a late hit to Drake Maye as he went out of bounds pic.twitter.com/fjG4QlTXYF
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) September 10, 2026

Hall now faces a punishment decision from the NFL following this incident with Maye. Rule 12, Section 2, Article 8 of the 2026 NFL rulebook explicitly warns against “unnecessary roughness.” The NFL will review the play and determine whether to fine Hall for his foul on Maye.

For context, the NFL 2026 fines and appeals schedule indicates that a late hit can be fined $11,941 for a first offense. Hall will now need to wait for the NFL’s announcement on Week 1 fines and penalties.

The Seahawks opened their title defense with a win. They will now face the Arizona Cardinals on the road for Week 2.

Maye and the Patriots, on the other hand, will look to secure their first win of the season when they host Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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