PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
February 10, 2026
Q: With the benefit of time and a little more space, do you think your Super Bowl experience might ultimately be helpful to you down the road?
DM: 100%. I think you can use it as a learning experience and an experience that I have a chance to remember for the rest of my career, the rest of my life. It's a chance to battle back from something that didn't go your way or you wish would have gone differently and give you fuel to remember that. That's what gives you something to work for. I think it's something for this team to work for, this organization and these coaches. We came up short, and we were one of the last two playing at the same time. So, it's hard to really reflect on it this early. But from the quick 24 or 48 hours that it has been, we left it all out there. I know that. We came up short and we didn't execute or play how we wanted to, but there's a lot of things that this team did well, and we can use it down the road when we get back in OTAs or get back in training camp. What could be the difference or what can we do a little extra? What could I do in the quarterback room? What could we do in the quarterback room a little more? Find answers to make throws or to make those plays in those situations that kind of change the outcome of the game.
Q; Where are you physically in terms of just – can you say you won't need any surgery or anything going forward to set yourself up for the offseason to have a full offseason?
DM: Yeah, just get some time off. Time's the best healer, and definitely just need time off. Nothing that needs anything to be done. Just some time away, time to get some rest and just time away from football.
Q: Drake, how good do you feel about the foundation that you guys set this season and what that does for you moving forward?
DM: Yes, Coach [Mike Vrabel] just mentioned that in the squad meeting. Just what we've done with the foundation that we've set for this city, for this fan base. Got them back, got some energy back in the city. That's what we talked about in the quarterback room all year long about turning the city back up, and I think we did that. I think you felt that this year. You felt that on Sunday in the game. We're at the biggest game on the highest level, and the Pats, they said we were back, but we came up a little short. But sometimes that happens, and sometimes, you wish things would have gone differently. But I can't say I have any regrets, besides not making a few extra more plays and a few extra throws in that game.
Q: What was your biggest takeaway after watching the film of the game?
DM: Yeah, I think we just lost. I think they made more plays than we did, and they were the better team on Sunday. They deserved to win. We just couldn't, speaking for myself, couldn't get enough going on offense to help our team win.
Q: You talked about learning and taking away from the Super Bowl, but from the year as a whole, from what you learned this year, what do you take from this year to help you going forward?
DM: I think first off, just what a long journey it is to get to that game. As many bumps or bruises, time you spend or how long it's felt, it's really worth it when you are in that game and you have a chance to win the Super Bowl. I think that's what you do it for. It's really hard to make it seem like the games behind don't matter, but that's really the case when you get to that stage. The games behind, the 20 other games that we played, it really felt like the last one was the one that really mattered. I think that's what you kind of learn about. That's what you go to work for and improve and try not to stay the same level coming into the next year. Not try to act like, 'Man, we're here and we're fine. We just need to keep doing what we're doing.' You've got to elevate, and teams are going to be looking at what we did, how we improved so quickly, how we won the division and won the AFC and a lot of great things. So, teams are going to try to have a bullseye on us and try to stop us. So, we've got to try not to be complacent and know that the teams are going to be chasing us, and we've got to try to chase the Seahawks.
Q: With Will Campbell, what's it been like? I know you guys have such a good relationship off the field. Just what's this first season been like playing with him?
DM: Yeah, it's a pleasure going out there with Will every time. I know it's probably been a long year for the rookies, a long year for Will, a long year for these guys to get adapted to playing in the NFL. I think Will is a great case of somebody who's experienced it all, experienced the ups and downs, the injury side of it. The long times where you don't want to talk to the media, but you have to, or the expectations of a first-round pick. I think he's dealt with so much this year. It's only going to be great for him in the future. He's going to be a great player in this league. He already is a great player in this league, and I look forward to getting back in, seeing him in the offseason, hanging out with him and getting back into OTAs. I love Will, and I look forward to playing with him for a long time.
Q: What's your offseason going to look like this year, perhaps, compared to last year? Do you have any plans to kind of chill and then get back to it, or can you –
DM: Yeah, I can't say too much. This offseason, I've got a wife now. I've got a beautiful wife, so I don't know. I look forward to spending this offseason with my wife. Yeah, that's kind of my first thought. That's going to be the highlight of my offseason, I can tell you that.
Q: Drake, did you learn anything about – you kind of mentioned toward the end of the year when you were talking about your shoulder, that it's just kind of a long season, just sort of comes with that. Is there anything you learned in terms of how to prepare, how to take care of your arm over the course of a long season that you might be able to use next year?
DM: I mean, I feel like my arm was feeling great all year. I don't think throwing, really, was the instance for my arm. I think it's the case of having one hit in the AFC Championship game that was just kind of unfortunate, unfortunate timing. The two weeks were great to have off to have a chance to be out there and be out there for my guys. I mean, you can't blame things on injuries. Things like this happen all the time in the league. I was blessed this year. What a year of health and blessings for me this year. You can't throw it on one little thing on the shoulder. So, it's just unfortunate it happened to the throwing one, but at the same time, I could have prevented it or made more plays. I was feeling like I was able to make throws in the game and was myself. So, nothing that I have much else to say about that.
Q: Drake, I know it might be tough to reflect on it now, but where do you feel like you made the most strides this season, working with Josh McDaniels, working with Ashton Grant? Are there any things this offseason that you feel like you're going to hone in on early?
DM: Yeah, really, it felt like my rookie year in this offense. I was in the first year in this offense. I was the first full-time starter. I had a chance to learn so much from a great offensive coordinator. Ashton has been awesome with just kind of relaying the connections between the past offense that he was in last year with the Browns that we had last year and just translating it, now using our own terminology and kind of building the foundation for this offense. There's so much more we can take with this offense and give me more tools and more answers at the line of scrimmage. With my capability to play the position, use my knowledge of the game and learn it from Coach [McDaniels] to get us in the best spot is only going to help us down the road. Just try to get our guys in the offensive room and get me to that level where I'm able to operate on the field in a game-like manner to accomplish those things. So, I'm looking forward to it, getting a chance to be in the – Lord-willing and knock on wood, the same offense for the second year. I'm looking forward to that, and the sky's the limit for us. We've got a lot of great players in that locker room, and it's going to be fun to get a chance to find out, 'Hey, Drake, maybe these few things, you need to really focus on, maybe eliminate from your game, or know what plays you don't take a sack on, knowing that when we're across the 50, try not to have negative plays.' Little things like that and areas of the offense where it can take us to the next level. Coach [McDaniels] can kind of give me some tools and we can work on trying to find that next level. So, I'm looking forward to that, and that's what keeps you going in the offseason.
Q: How much do you think you can build off what you built with Stefon Diggs this year?
DM: Man, I wish I would have given him more chances in the game. I know he probably thinks the same way, and I think he's just been a great force this year. I can't say enough about what he's done for us, what he's done for this team and what he's proved to himself. I think I saw him say something about that, proving to himself the player he is and how he can still be a big-time player in this league, and he showcased that. He's got a lot of juice left in the tank, and he told me the other day he's got a chance to really work on his craft in the offseason. He really didn't have a chance last offseason coming from an injury, so he's got a chance to get back and working and just trying get whatever's left in his body. I know there's some left, and I'm looking forward to getting a chance to hopefully throw him some more passes and watch [No.] 8 go.
Q: When do you get to enjoy everything that you guys did? When do you get to enjoy it?
DM: Oh, man. I think you get to enjoy it when you see guys leave for the offseason. You get to appreciate what the relationship with them was like. We just had a quarterback meeting in there, kind of reminiscing on the game and the season and what we could do better, and you appreciate that. You appreciate the meetings, the goodbyes or the see you laters. I think that's when you kind of get a chance to look back and be like, 'Man, what a ride and what a year it was.' So yeah, I think it stings. It's going to sting for a while, and I know it's what makes this sport special. You come back, get a chance to take some time away, but not take too much time away because we were close, and you've got to try to find that extra edge. I know those guys in the locker room are going to try to find that, and I know the team may not be the same and the coaching staff may not be the same, but I think our identity and what we put on display this year is something that we can translate to this next year and build off of. So, I'm looking forward to that and looking forward to being back. They said 10 weeks until we're back here, so that doesn't sound too far away. It turns around quickly on you, so I'm looking forward to it, and I appreciate the fans. I appreciate the fans, the support. I know I didn't play as well as I would have liked down the stretch, and I'm going to promise to do my best to work hard and get us back to those moments in those games. I can't wait to be back in Gillette and looking forward to next year. So, thank you, guys.
