Adam Schefter shares bold take on Patriots QB Drake Maye's long-term expectations

Maye had a flawless regular season in 2025, completing 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards with 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, all while getting sacked 47 times. However, that same level of success did not translate to the postseason.

While the Patriots made it to the Super Bowl, Maye had little to do with it when the lights were the brightest. He only completed 58.3% of his throws for 828 yards with six TDs and four interceptions, but an additional 21 sacks showed that it was not entirely on him.

Maye has elite arm talent and mobility, but his mechanics and ball security have been causes for concern. As the turnovers have carried over to training camp, it is reasonable to wonder if some potential regression from Maye could derail the Patriots' season.

The additions of wide receivers A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs give Maye some more go-to options down the field in a crowded WR room that is sure to take some of the load off him and give him plenty of weapons to distribute the ball to.

The Patriots had arguably the easiest strength of schedule in modern NFL history last season. Granted, that does not guarantee any wins and is sometimes just the cards a team is dealt, but New England's success made for a much more challenging slate in 2026.

ESPN noted that the Patriots have the sixth-toughest schedule in the entire league this season, so it will not be an easy road back to the Super Bowl by any means. To his credit, though, it is hard to deny Maye's talent and what he brings to this Patriots offense, regardless of what schedule is ahead of them or the roster that has been put together. 

Still, it is up to him to go out there and prove that his postseason struggles from last season were an outlier to an otherwise ascending career that is only just beginning to scratch the surface of what Maye is capable of.