SANTA CLARA, Calif — Drake Maye has massive shoes to fill. In the shadow of Tom Brady’s hometown in the Bay Area, and against the backdrop of the team he once led to six titles, the Patriots QB found himself ready to take a massive step forward and launch his own legacy.
On a night when Bad Bunny stole the show in front of a Levi’s Stadium crowd of 70,823 loaded with celebs, Maye failed to take that step. His Patriots fell 29‑13 to the Seahawks, who were in control from start to finish.
The soft-spoken second‑year QB seemed to see ghosts for much of the night, at least until consecutive passes in the fourth quarter finally got the Patriots on the board.
Yes, the same ghosts that once haunted Sam Darnold, who silenced more doubters with a good game in a big game.
Seattle’s physical, fast, smart and deep defense flummoxed Maye from start to finish Sunday in Super Bowl 60. The Seahawks overwhelmed the Patriots’ offense, then controlled the game thanks to 161 yards from scrimmage for Kenneth Walker and a mistake‑free 202 yards from Sam Darnold.
Maye, who finished a close second to Matthew Stafford in MVP voting, finished his night 27‑of‑43 for 295 yards, two touchdowns, two interceptions and a fumble.
He was pressured an unfathomable 28 times, and brought down six times for sacks by the Seahawks.
The first half was an ugly punt fest for both teams. The quarterbacks combined for just 136 yards, with Maye getting sacked three times and Darnold only finding success on short throws. Darnold completed just 9‑of‑22 passes in the first half despite most of his attempts traveling less than 10 yards.
Walker broke the longest play of the first half on a 30‑yard run down the left sideline. With 94 yards at the half, Seattle’s new version of Beast Mode was cooking. Jason Myers kicked three field goals to give the Seahawks a 9‑0 lead.
Seattle strung together three straight first‑down plays on its first possession of the third quarter, highlighted by a Sam Darnold scramble. Walker added a 20‑yard gain on a screen pass, leading to a fourth Jason Myers field goal.
Meanwhile, Maye and the Patriots couldn’t get on track. He held the ball repeatedly, reluctant to take shots down the field. And the shots? They were there to take.
His TD pass to Mack Hollins in the fourth quarter was a thing of beauty. But it was much too little, and much too late. When Chris Nwosu picked up the ball and rumbled 44 yards for a TD following the Seahawks’ sixth sack of Maye, it was curtains for New England.
SEAHAWKS WIN SUPER BOWL 60:
Drake Maye isn’t Tom Brady, but that is OK
Brady, who grew up roughly 30 miles from Santa Clara, might be the NFL’s biggest anomaly. Everyone knows the story: a fifth-round pick who wasn’t even the most heralded QB on his college team, seven Super Bowls, and (probably) a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Maye was a college star from a family loaded with athletic pedigree. The Patriots took him third overall, and from that moment in 2024, everyone knew the Patriots were his team.
The Patriots are still his team—and will be for a long, long time. Following Sunday’s loss, he fought back tears and stammered through answers to the media. He didn’t want it to end this way.
“I love this team. I love those guys in the locker room, who leave it all on the field.”
Much was made about his injured right shoulder leading up to the Super Bowl. He missed practice following the AFC Championship win over Denver and was asked repeatedly about the injury leading up to Super Bowl Sunday.
He was off the injury report Friday, indicating he was a go. But there is no doubt it might have been a factor—the ball didn’t seem to have its usual zip.
Drake Maye on his throwing shoulder: “My shoulder feels…I shot it up so…not much feeling. It was good to go.” pic.twitter.com/WZ98Dctzva
— Elliott Pohnl (@ElliottPohnl) February 9, 2026
Part of Brady’s aura was his ability to stay mostly healthy throughout his career. He missed most of the 2008 season, but played through countless other maladies, including a broken foot, a torn MCL, and yes, an injury to his throwing shoulder.
Maye has that toughness. He might not admit it, but he was clearly hampered and hurting.
The Patriots Door is Still Open
Maye was asked what he would like to have back about the game.
“What would I like to have back? I’d like to go back to the beginning and re-do it,” he said
New England has cap space and a good head coach, one they probably should have hired in the first place after Bill Belichick fell in love and headed off to Chapel Hill. They also have a true leader, young and still far from realizing his potential.
For all the sacks Maye took tonight, he still pushed the ball down the field. He plays NFL quarterback like a big-game hunter, knowing he can make every throw and that his aggressiveness is his biggest weapon.
“I think that’s the biggest thing about life,” Maye said. “You’re going to have times like this. All these guys in that locker room are going to use this as fuel, and you’ll go to war with these guys anytime, any day, anywhere.
“It’s motivation to get back here.”
Mike Vrabel had similar comments after the game. His no-nonsense approach is a mix of Belichick and bravado. In his first season as head coach in New England, it worked perfectly with a roster few expected to win the AFC East, let alone reach the Super Bowl.
“We won a lot of football games with the guys we have,” Vrabel said. “Drake’s a big part of that.