The last time Drake Maye stepped foot on an NFL field in a game environment, he encountered one of the most frustrating days of his young professional career.
When he aims to bounce back at the start of the 2026 season, the same opponent will be there to greet him, as the New England Patriots are set to face the Seattle Seahawks in the Kickoff Game on Sept. 9. Given an offseason to process the pain of a Super Bowl defeat, the third-year quarterback and 2025 NFL MVP finalist can't wait for his chance to exact some revenge.
"I think it's a chance for us to get some extra motivation during training camp," Maye told reporters Wednesday, via team transcript. "You know, starting off with the bang like that, a chance to get an opponent that left a bad taste in our mouth. So, I think it's something for us that's going to really make us work.
"We've got to bring it Week 1 on the road in a tough environment. They're going to be hanging their banner, and that's the part of it. So, I think it's going to be interesting. It's going to be fun. It's going to be a tough task. So, it'll be something for us to get some extra motivation and make training camp better."
Few exercises twist the knife quite like watching your Week 1 opponent raise the banner it won by vanquishing your team and destroying your dreams of football glory. That's where Maye and most of the Patriots will find themselves that night to kick off the new campaign.
When considering preparation for the season opener, some might understandably point back to Super Bowl LX as perfect game film to review. Others would suggest an offseason of roster and coaching staff turnover would render that tape useless. The pain of defeat might also prevent some Patriots from studying the footage.
Not Maye. He's willing to lean into the emotional damage if it gives him an edge.
"I think you definitely take a peek at it," he said. "You know, for me, on the biggest stage and a big game, and I had a lot of plays I wish I had back. I definitely watched it, and at such a young point in my career where I can still learn so much. And first time playing that defense. So, you can learn things and learn about the game.
"So, I think there's definitely some parts that, maybe throws that I maybe skip, or now I want to watch that again. But there's definitely the game, I think you learn so much from, mistakes that you make yourself."
Maye will receive a fantastic opportunity to prove he's grown from the loss when Week 1 arrives. Seattle's 12s will be happy to greet him.
