A year after an MVP runner-up season, Drake Maye has had a forgettable start to 2026
. Through three games, the third-year quarterback has looked flustered, out of rhythm, and, quite honestly, completely out of his depth at the helm of a lackluster Patriots offensive supporting cast. The difference between the clutch, sharp version of Maye we saw in 2025 and what he's shown so far in 2026 may as well be night and day.Sunday's performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars was undoubtedly the low point ... of Maye's career.
Maye was a turnover machine, coughing up two brutal picks and a fumble that the Jaguars scored two touchdowns off of. It got so bad that Maye's name was mentioned alongside Drew Brees and, wait for it, the "legendary" Rex Grossman.
Dearest readers, I need to make this clear: You never want your name invoked alongside Rex Grossman (and one of the worst years of a Hall of Fame quarterback's career in Brees).
At his postgame press conference, Maye offered up a customary, brutally honest platitude about his play so far this year. He noted that he has to "look in the mirror" while treating Sunday's awful performance as a "turning point" (a tacit acknowledgment of just how bad Sunday went).
Patriots QB Drake Maye: "I've got to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point." pic.twitter.com/zb6AEVN2SN
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 27, 2026
It's still too early to definitively anoint someone, but Maye is certainly in the running for the worst quarterback at this early stage in the season. At the very least, he has probably been the worst quarterback who had a measure of expectations entering 2026.
Whatever is wrong with Maye, as he notes, he better fix it soon before the Patriots' season spirals down the toilet.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Drake Maye's 'mirror' quote sums up his miserable start to season for Patriots
