New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye wants a Super Bowl redo
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New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye fumbling the ball under pressure from Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (centre) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed during the second half of Super Bowl LX. Seattle won the game 29-13 at the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Feb 8, 2026.
PHOTO: EPA
SANTA CLARA – Drake Maye and the six-time Super Bowl champions New England Patriots flew to the heart of Silicon Valley aiming to add a seventh banner to their Massachusetts stadium.
But after a bruising four quarters of football at Levi’s Stadium, the Patriots will leave with a different record: most Super Bowls lost, at six.
Maye, who hoped to become the youngest quarterback to win a Super Bowl in National Football League (NFL) history, had to come to grips with a loss to the Seattle Seahawks – a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX in 2015, when the Patriots emerged victorious.
In a tent erected in the San Francisco 49ers’ practice field, the teary-eyed 23-year-old was downcast about the game’s outcome and voiced frustration with his inability to make the necessary plays to defeat Seattle.
“I’d like to go back to the beginning and redo it,” Maye said, adding that there were more plays than he could think of that he would like to do again.
The 29-13 scoreline reflected the defensive battle that unfolded, as the Seahawks chipped away at the Patriots.
“The plan was to get to Maye. Disrupt him,” Seahawks’ linebacker Uchenna Nwosu said. “We knew if we get to him, their game plan was nothing.”
Maye, the runner-up for regular season Most Valuable Player honours, said that despite the loss, he looked forward to playing for coach Mike Vrabel.
“He’s somebody we all love playing for, and he’s a constant reminder of why we believe and why we show up to work, have an identity,” Maye said. “I know this sucks and it hurts.”
Vrabel, who joined the Patriots in 2025, led the team from a woeful 2024 to a first-place division finish with a 14-3 regular-season record.
For his efforts in the remarkable turnaround and run to the Super Bowl, the NFL awarded Vrabel Coach of the Year.
“Part of our identity is not being a front runner. Just like every year someone is going to lose this game and we have to remember what it feels like and make sure that it’s not repeated,” Vrabel said.
Heading into the Feb 8 game, Maye had brushed off concerns about his fitness to play, but from the jump he struggled against the Seahawks’ hefty defence, which sacked him six times.
He threw two interceptions and was unable to put Patriots points on the board until the fourth quarter.
“There are too much plays in the first half where I feel like I could have made a better throw or make a better decision,” Maye said. “It comes down to who makes the plays and who doesn’t and they made plays tonight.”
But for Vrabel, the showing at Levi’s Stadium would give the team a reason to bounce back next season.
“I’m proud of everything that they did. I’m disappointed just like they are,” Vrabel said. “And that it’s OK to be disappointed. We have to be disappointed and upset together.
“And like I always do, I tell them I am appreciative of them and thankful and grateful that I get to coach them.” REUTERS
