Is more of the same to be expected from New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in 2026?
Maye had a season to remember in 2025. He finished as the runner-up for the AP NFL MVP award and led the NFL in completion percentage with a 72 percent completion rate. Maye took a major leap last season compared to his rookie season in 2024. He recorded 4,394 passing yards, up from his 2,276 yards in 2024. Maye showed signs of having much more room to grow last season.
According to ESPN’s Mike Clay in his 2026 NFL projection guide, Maye projects to complete 68.2 percent of his passes for 4,002 passing yards with a 27-11 touchdown-to-interception ratio next season.
The Patriots are expected to trade for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown, which has the potential to impact New England’s offense dramatically next season. With Brown’s presence integrated into Maye’s season outlook, the North Carolina native figures to have more weapons to target in the passing game in 2026, with Romeo Doubs on the outside as well.
New England also added Alijah-Verah Tucker to its offensive line, as well as Caleb Lomu with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, to give Maye more protection in the pocket. Despite the Patriots’ additions, Maye projects to get sacked 45 times, down only two sacks from last season, but increase his rushing yards to 527 in 2026.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 2026 stat projections still has Patriots QB Drake Maye looking elite
