Here’s what New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had to say during his press conference on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
On if he thinks his Super Bowl experience might ultimately be helpful to him down the road?
“I think 100%. I think you can use it as a learning experience and an experience that you have a chance to remember for the rest of my career, the rest of my life. It’s a chance to battle back for something that didn’t go your way or you wish would have gone different and give you fuel to remember that. That’s what will give me something to work for. I think it’s something this team to work for in this organization and these coaches. We came up short, and we were the last two playing at the same time. So it’s hard to really reflect on it this early, but knowing from the quick 24 or 48 hours as it has been. We left it all out there. I know that, and 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 as we get back in OTAs or get back in training camp, what could be the difference or what could we do a little extra? What could I do in the quarterback room? What could we do in the quarterback room a little more to find answers, to make throws or to make those plays in those situations that kind of change the odds of the game.”
Drake, Thanks for coming in, first of all, talking to us, and making the time for us:
“Yeah, I know last year was a little bit different case compared to this year, just the coaches and stuff.”
Different dynamics, too. Looking ahead, physically, I think one question is just, where are you physically in terms of, 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?
“Yeah, just get some time off. Time off, time is the best healer, and I definitely just need time off. Nothing that needs anything to be done. Just some time away and time to get some rest, and just time away from football.”
On how good do he feels just about the foundation that they set this season and what that does for them moving forward:
“Yes, Coach just mentioned that in the squad meeting. Just what the foundation we set for this city, for this fan base, got them back, got some energy back in the city. I think that’s what we talked about in the quarterback room all year long, about turning the city back up. 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. 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 different. But I can’t say I have any regrets besides not making a few extra more plays and some few extra throws in that game.”
On what was his biggest takeaway after watching the film again:
“I think we just lost. I think they made more plays than we did, and they were the better team on Sunday, and they deserved to win. And we couldn’t, speaking for myself, couldn’t get enough going on offense to help our team win.”
On from the year as a whole, from what he learned this year, what did he take from this year to help him going forward?
“I think, first off, just what a long journey it is to get to that game. As many bumps or bruises or time you spend or how long it’s filled, it’s 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 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 not try to stay the same level. Coming in the next year and try to act like, ‘Man, we’re here and we’re fine. We just need to keep doing what we’re doing.’ You got to elevate, and teams are going to be looking at what we did, how we improved so quickly, and how we won the division and won the AFC, and a lot of great things. So teams are going to try to have a bull’s-eye on us to try to stop us. So we got to not be complacent and know that the teams are going to be chasing us, and we got to try to chase the Seahawks.”
On Will Campbell, and while they have a relationship off the field, what’s this first season been like playing with him?
“Yeah, it’s a pleasure going out there with Will. Every time I know… 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 play 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 we got. 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. I look forward to getting back in, seeing him in the offseason, hanging with him, and getting back in the OTAs. I love Will, and I look forward to playing with him for a long time.”
On what his offseason is going to look like this year compared to last year, if he has any plans to chill and then get back to it:
“I can’t say too much. This offseason, I got a wife now. I got a beautiful wife. So, I look forward to spending this offseason with my wife. That’s my first thought. That’s going to be the highlight of my offseason, I can tell you that.”
On the fact he talked about it being a long year, his shoulder, and if there’s anything he learned in terms of how to prepare, how to take care of his arm over the course of long season that he might be able to use next year:
“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 a case of having one hit in the AFC Championship game that was just kind of unfortunate. An unfortunate timing, unfortunate kind of what… Just like I said, the timing of it and the two weeks was great to have off, to have a chance to be out there and be out there for my guys. You can’t blame things on injuries. Things happen like this 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 just hone in on one little thing on the shoulder. So it’s just unfortunate. Happened to be 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 anything really much else to say about that.”
On where does he feel like he made the most strides this season? Working with Josh McDaniels, working with Ashton Grant, are there any things this offseason that he feels like he’s going to hone in on early:
“Yeah, really. It felt like my rookie year. 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 offense coordinator, and Ashton has been awesome with just relaying the connection between the past offense that he was in with the Browns that we had earlier last year, and just translating it and now using our own terminology and kind of building the foundation for this offense. There’s so much more we can take this offense and give me more tools and more just answers at the line of scrimmage. I think with my capability to play the position and use my knowledge of the game and learn it from coach to get us in the best spot is only going to help us down the road and 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. I think the sky’s limit for us. We got a lot of great players in that locker room, and I think it’s going to be fun to get a chance to find out, ‘Hey, maybe these things, Drake, you need to really focus on maybe eliminating from your game or know what plays you don’t take a sack on or knowing when we’re across the 50, try not to have negative plays.’ I think little things like that. And areas of the offense where you can take us to the next level. And Coach can kind of give me some tools, and we 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.”
On what else he can build off, what he built with Stefon Diggs this year:
“Diggs, I wish… Man, I wish I probably would have given him more chances in the game. I know he thinks probably the same way, and I think he’s just been great for us 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. 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 to get whatever’s left in his body. I know there’s some left, and I’m looking forward to getting a chance to hopefully to throw him some more passes and watch #8 go.
On when does he get to enjoy everything that they did this season:
“When you get to enjoy it? 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. Or we just had a quarterback meeting in there, reminiscing on the game and the season and what we could do better. You appreciate that. You appreciate the meetings or 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.’ I think it stings. It’s going to sting for a while. I know it’s what this makes this sport special, and you’ll come back and get a chance to take some time away, but not take too much time away because we were close and you got to try to find that extra edge. I know those guys in the locker room are going to try to find that. 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 into 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 appreciate the fans, 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 and those games. I can’t wait to be back in Gillette, and looking forward to next year.”
“So thank you guys. Go, Pats.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This transcript was done based on the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. If you spot anything, please let me know in the comments below.)
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Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.
