Two-Time Super Bowl Champ Predicted to Return to New England Patriots

In his first season in the NFL, Patriots first-round pick Drake Maye was sacked 34 times in 13 games and was pressured on 37.4% of his dropbacks, the 13th-most among quarterbacks per PFF. Improving the offensive line heading into Maye’s second year under center would be paramount to his development, and so far, the Patriots have done a solid job of improving. At least on paper.

The team drafted Will Campbell with the fourth overall pick, and added center Jared Wilson in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, as well as adding Morgan Moses and Garrett Bradbury in free agency. Even if the unit doesn’t project to be one of the best offensive lines in the NFL, it’ll be better than it was in 2024, and could get even better during training camp.

Per Brian Hines of Pats Pulpit, the Patriots could potentially turn to a former son as a training camp body, in the hopes of strengthening their offensive line depth. In a mailbag article for Pats Pulpit, Hines answered a question on who could be potential dark horses to bring in during camp, and Hines provided former Patriots guard Shaq Mason as an option. 

“Brandon Scherff and Dalton Risner are other veteran options as well as Shaq Mason, who has started to decline in pass pro over the last two seasons.” Hines writes. 

Mason spent the last two seasons with the Houston Texans before being released by the team in free agency. Before that, Mason spent the 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

The 31-year-old guard is well-known around New England. Mason spent the first six seasons of his career with the Patriots and won two Super Bowls with the team in 2016 and 2018, making a name for himself as one of the best guards in the NFL. 

Mason likely doesn’t live up to that sort of potential anymore, and he took a step back on a bad Texans’ offensive line in the last two seasons, but he could still provide solid depth for the Patriots if they were to turn to him.