Drake Maye is heading into the 2026 season with more firepower around him than he had a year ago, but the Patriots are still taking a hit before the opener.
New England added A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs at receiver and brought in Alijah Vera-Tucker for the offensive line after Maye guided the team to Super Bowl LX in his second season. That gave the Patriots a much stronger look on paper as they get set to face the Seattle Seahawks again, the same team that exposed their offensive issues in the Super Bowl.
Even with those upgrades, the Patriots will be without one of their most dangerous weapons to start the year.
TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out for Wednesday’s season opener because of the ankle injury he suffered in practice on Aug. 24. He has not practiced since, and this will be his first regular-season game missed as a Patriot.
That’s a tough blow for Maye. Henderson was New England’s most explosive runner last season, leading the team with 911 rushing yards and nine touchdowns as a rookie. He also added 221 receiving yards, giving the Patriots a big-play threat who could take pressure off their quarterback and keep defenses honest.
Rhamondre Stevenson is expected to step into the lead role after posting 603 rushing yards and nine touchdowns last season, and Corey Kiner could see a larger workload as well.
The loss of Henderson doesn’t leave Maye short on options, though. Brown gives him a true No. 1 receiver, Doubs adds another established target, and Vera-Tucker strengthens the front. The Patriots also believe their offensive line is in better shape for Seattle after Will Campbell and Jared Wilson picked up another year of experience.
Maye is coming off a huge season of his own, throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns against just eight interceptions while finishing with a 113.5 passer rating.
Still, the opener now asks a little more of him. Against the Seahawks, Maye will have to make New England’s upgraded offense hum without Henderson in the backfield.
In Other News...
Drake Maye Hit Could Leave Patriots Fans Wanting More After Loss
Drake Maye gave the Patriots a mixed afternoon in Seattle, moving the ball well enough to keep New England in striking range but also giving the Seahawks plenty of help along the way. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, yet the three interceptions and three sacks were enough to tilt a tight game that ended 13-10 in Seattles favor.
The sequence that drew the most attention came when Seahawks linebacker Derick Hall was flagged for unnecessary roughness after a late hit on Maye, a play the NFL is now reviewing for possible further punishment. Maye stayed in the game after the hit, and while the Patriots left with another narrow loss, they now have a short week to reset before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 20. [Read more 🡒]
Raiders Keep Targeting Seahawks Talent After Another Seattle Departure
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Cabeldue entered the league as a 2025 sixth-round pick and saw action in a small but useful sample last season, logging snaps at multiple spots along the offensive line. For Seattle, his departure is another reminder of how quickly late-round development projects can become roster casualties, while for the Raiders it continues a clear pattern of looking toward familiar Seahawks connections as they build out their depth. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Opener Chaos Turned A Tense Win Into Something Else
The NFL season opener at Lumen Field had enough on-field edge already, but the scene in the stands briefly stole the attention away from the Seahawks and Patriots. A dispute over seating escalated when a Patriots fan allegedly would not move from seats belonging to other spectators, and what began as an argument turned into a physical confrontation that drew in ushers, security and police before order was restored.
For a few tense minutes, the football game was secondary to the disruption above it, a reminder of how quickly a night at the stadium can veer off script. The fan was eventually handcuffed, and while the crowd settled back in, the incident lingered as one of the stranger moments of an opener that already had plenty of bite. [Read more 🡒]