SEATTLE - The Patriots walk into Lumen Field on Wednesday night with a very different look than the one that got flattened in February. Same opponent, same stage, but a lot of the personnel around Drake Maye has changed, and New England is hoping those changes show up immediately in the 2026 NFL regular-season opener against the Seahawks.
That previous meeting ended in a 29-13 loss, and Maye was blunt about what the Patriots can take from it.
“We got some new faces, and we experienced it, and we got to learn from it,” quarterback Drake Maye said. “I am excited to see us go out there and play. We got to play good to win.”
One of the biggest developments came right before kickoff, when Christian Gonzalez put contract questions to rest. Less than 48 hours before the game, the 24-year-old agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension. That deal makes him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and the highest-paid Patriots player of all time.
That matters because Gonzalez is about to be tested by one of the league’s most dangerous receivers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who was fairly neutralized when facing Gonzalez in the Super Bowl, is coming off a career year and is expected to follow suit in 2026.
Seattle also has Rashid Shaheed, Cooper Kupp and Tory Horton in the mix, but Gonzalez will mainly track Smith-Njigba. If he controls that matchup, it gives New England’s secondary a chance to settle in and make life difficult on the rest of Seattle’s passing game.
The Patriots also look far sturdier up front than they did in February, when Maye was sacked six times and the run game never got going. This offseason brought in Alijah Vera-Tucker to take over at left guard, which allowed Jared Wilson to move back to center, his natural spot.
Garrett Bradbury, last year’s center, was traded to the Chicago Bears in March. New England also added rookie tackles Caleb Lomu and Dametrious Crownover, along with center/guard Greg Van Roten, giving the line more depth and a much cleaner look on paper.
Seattle’s front still brings plenty of heat. Byron Murphy, who had two sacks in the Super Bowl, leads a group that also includes Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence. Even so, the Patriots believe their starting five is in a far better place than the one they rolled out seven months ago.
There’s a similar upgrade at receiver. New England’s top two pass catchers in 2025 - Stefon Diggs with 85 receptions and Kayshon Boutte with 33 - are gone, and A.J.
Brown and Romeo Doubs now sit atop the depth chart. That’s already a stronger group, and the way Maye has thrown to both of them in practice has raised expectations for what the passing game can look like right away.
Mack Hollins, who scored in the Super Bowl, joins DeMario Douglas, Kyle Williams and Efton Chism III to round out a group that has real juice. Seattle corner Devon Witherspoon will make things tougher, but Brown is expected to see plenty of action in his Patriots debut, possibly even double-digit targets.
The backfield takes a hit before the season even starts. Rhamondre Stevenson will still start, but TreVeyon Henderson has been ruled out with an ankle injury. Henderson was rolled up on Aug. 24 and hasn’t practiced since, leaving Stevenson with a heavier load and likely more chances for third-string Corey Kiner as well.
The Patriots also are expected to elevate either Hassan Haskins or Lan Larison from the practice squad before the game. They may not be major factors on offense, but they give New England extra insurance on special teams.
That third phase could be a major piece of the night. Patriots special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and Seattle’s Jay Harbaugh both have units built to swing a game, and Springer made clear this week that he knows what New England is up against.
“That staff's done an unbelievable job with their core unit, they got a lot of veterans guys that are back,” Springer told reporters earlier this week. “They're a very veteran group. ... It's going to take our guys to be locked in.”
New England will handle special teams with kicker Andy Borregales, punter Mitch Wishnowsky and long snapper Julian Ashby. Seattle’s specialists are Jason Myers, Michael Dixon and Jack Stoll. And with Marcus Jones and Shaheed both capable of flipping the field on a punt return at any moment, one explosive play in the return game could end up carrying serious weight.
For the Patriots, the formula is obvious: get Gonzalez locked in on the outside, keep Maye upright, and let the upgraded receiver group do its work. Against a veteran Seattle team and in one of the loudest buildings in football, that’s the path they’ll try to follow.
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DK Metcalf Just Reopened A Seahawks Debate Fans Never Dropped
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Metcalf, though, is not treating the result like a reason to revisit his choice. He has said he understands the consequences of asking out and has congratulated his former teammates, even as the Steelers committed to him with a four-year, $132 million extension. For Seattle fans, it keeps the conversation in a familiar place: whether the franchise got the timing right, whether Metcalf got what he wanted, and how much a championship ring changes the hindsight around a trade that was already going to be dissected for years. [Read more 🡒]
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Seahawks Could Get A Big Backfield Boost Sooner Than Expected
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For Seattle, the possibility matters because Charbonnets return would give the backfield a jolt at a point in the season when teams usually start absorbing wear and tear. Still, nothing is locked in yet. He has to pass a physical before the Seahawks can activate him, and with no firm return date in place, the team is left waiting to see whether the encouraging signs turn into an actual midseason comeback. [Read more 🡒]