Romeo Doubs has head-scratching excuse for blunder in Patriots debut

New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Romeo Doubs has head-scratching excuse for blunder in Patriots debut

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Sep 10, 2026 10:08 AM ET

The New England Patriots couldn't get back at the Seattle Seahawks in the season opener.

Even with Sam Darnold missing most of the game with a hip injury, Mike Vrabel's team struggled to stay ahead of the sticks against Seattle's brutal defense.

Mike Macdonald's unit made Drake Maye fight with for every yard. That's why watching Romeo Doubs drop what would've been a massive gain in the second half was such a gut punch, especially considering that Maye threw a pick on the very next play.

Fans roasted Doubs on social media, and he didn't do much to appease the criticism with his post-game comments.

Romeo Doubs says he 'wasn't locked in' during brutal drop

“I just wasn't locked in enough. That's all. Video speaks for itself. And like I said, I'll be better,” Doubs said postgame, per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Globe.

Romeo Doubs on his 4th-quarter drop: “I just wasn't locked in enough. That's all. Video speaks for itself. And like I said, I'll be better.”
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) September 10, 2026

Clearly, he could've phrased it a bit differently. He was one of the team's biggest additions, signing a four-year, $68 million deal that would've made him the top pass catcher on the team if they hadn't traded for A.J. Brown.

To be fair, Doubs did seem affected every time the broadcast turned to him, and he was reportedly emotional after the loss.

“Doubs is taking tonight hard, sitting by himself for long stretches in a locker room that has almost entirely cleared out,” Callahan reported.

Doubs is taking tonight hard, sitting by himself for long stretches in a locker room that has almost entirely cleared out.

He had 0 catches on 3 targets, including the drop. https://t.co/FcXGIRvIVC
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) September 10, 2026

Doubs finished the game with zero catches on three targets. Clearly, it wasn't the strong debut the former Green Bay Packers star was hoping for.

He struggled with drops early in his career, but he improved in that regard over the years.

He'll have to put the disappointing debut behind him as he looks to become what the Patriots hope he will be.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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