The Patriots’ home opener arrives in Week 2, and it brings a heavyweight feel right away. New England hosts the Steelers on Sunday, Sept. 20, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA.
This one has plenty to pull fans in. Drake Maye and Aaron Rodgers are set to square off in what figures to be their last meeting, and last season Pittsburgh took the road matchup 21-14. New England, though, finished with the last laugh by going all the way to the Super Bowl.
There’s also intrigue on the sidelines. Can Mike Vrabel cut through the noise and steer this young group back to the title game? And how will Mike McCarthy handle his first season in black and yellow?
For fans looking to be there in person, tickets are already on sale on StubHub. The current get-in price is $285. Mezzanine seats start at $350, lower level tickets are $430, and club passes go for $940.
The Steelers come into Foxborough after opening their season at home against the Falcons on Sunday, Sept. 13. After the Patriots, they’ll return home for the Bengals in Week 3.
New England’s schedule is packed after the Steelers visit. The Patriots go to the Jaguars and Bills in Weeks 3 and 4, then host the Raiders and Jets. Their slate also includes a Thursday night trip to the Bears, a London game against the Lions on Sunday, Nov. 15, and late-season matchups with the Chiefs, Jets, Broncos and Dolphins.
Pittsburgh’s season also stretches across some marquee dates. After New England, the Steelers host the Bengals, travel to the Browns and Buccaneers, and later take part in a Paris game against the Steelers on Sunday.
Oct. 25.
They also have games against the Eagles, Broncos, Texans, Ravens and Panthers as the year goes on.
In Other News...
Patriots Just Sent A Clear Message About Greg Van Roten
The Patriots added a veteran solution to the interior offensive line after the preseason opener left them thinner than they wanted to be. Greg Van Roten arrives on a deal built around a modest base salary, a signing bonus and incentives, with the team clearly valuing the kind of steady depth he can bring behind starting left guard Alijah Vera-Tucker.
At 36, Van Roten is being brought in for more than just insurance, even if that is the immediate need after injuries to Ben Brown and Andrew Rupcich. The structure of the contract suggests New England sees a useful stopgap now, with some upside if he handles a bigger role than expected, and that is a pretty direct message about how the Patriots want the offensive line handled heading into the season. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Maye Is Already Saying What Patriots Fans Need To Hear
Drake Maye spent part of the week around the Eagles, and the interaction gave the Patriots a useful glimpse into how their young quarterback is approaching the next stage of his development. After joint practices, Maye spoke with clear admiration for Jalen Hurts, pointing to Hurts work ethic and the path he has carved out in the league. He also noted how close the two came to overlapping at Alabama, a small detail that underscored just how long Maye has been tracking the kind of quarterback standard he wants to reach.
For New England, the bigger takeaway is less about the comparison itself and more about where Mayes head is as he heads into his third NFL season. He has been candid about focusing on the mental side of his game, and that matters for a team still trying to stabilize the most important position on the field. Hurts rise, resilience and Super Bowl-level success offer a clear model, and Maye seems intent on learning from it while continuing to build his own path. [Read more 🡒]
Patriots Face A New Doubt About Mike Vrabel And Drake Maye
The conversation around Mike Vrabels first months in New England has taken on another layer, this one coming from the media rather than the field. Colin Cowherd weighed in on the reported affair allegation involving Vrabel and NFL reporter Dianna Russini, separating the ethics question from the morals debate while using the moment to revisit how the Patriots are viewed heading into the season.
Cowherd was skeptical that New England can simply roll last years success forward and suggested the team looks more like a wild-card outfit than a Super Bowl contender. Even so, he had high regard for the Vrabel-Drake Maye partnership, ranking it among the leagues better coach-quarterback pairings and putting it sixth overall, which is part of what makes the Patriots next step such an intriguing one. [Read more 🡒]