Drake Maye's Response to a Three-Interception Game Could Shape a $70 Million Deal

Last season's MVP runner-up is eligible for a record-breaking extension this offseason. But the quarterback needs to prove Week 1 was a fluke.

by Kevin Stephan

Sep 15, 2026

Drake Maye vs Seattle Seahawks

Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

In Week One, Drake Maye didn’t light up the box score but played well enough to win through three quarters. At the end of three, he had his team winning 10-3 on the road against the defending Super Bowl champs. He was also very efficient, having completed 17-22 attempts for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Then came the fourth quarter, when everything seemed to unravel for the offense.

In that frame alone, Maye went 6-for-11 and threw three costly interceptions, giving Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock more chances to lead his offense back into the game.

After a 2025 season in which Maye finished as the MVP runner-up in his second season, Patriots fans expected more of the same in Week One. Instead, their third-year quarterback time and again made rookie mistakes and put the ball in harm’s way.

Franchise players aren’t defined by their worst moments, but by their ability to respond. And if Drake Maye can get back to his 2025 performance and put his Week One fourth quarter behind him, all will be forgotten.

The $70 Million Stakes

After this season, Eliot Wolf and the rest of the Patriots’ front office have an expensive decision on their hands. Drake Maye has the opportunity to reset the quarterback contract market and become the first $70 million player.

With the season still fresh, the front office has every reason to believe that Maye’s fourth quarter was an anomaly. After all, having a lead after three quarters at Lumen Field, especially on the Seahawks’ banner-raising night, isn’t an easy task.

But as the season progresses, every snap will be a high-stakes data point of whether the front office views Maye as a true tier-one quarterback or a high-priced game manager.

Looking Ahead

Drake Maye’s fourth-quarter meltdown in Seattle proved that not following the game plan and forcing plays under pressure can ruin an otherwise great game. But one quarter does not define a star quarterback. If Maye shows the ability to bounce back in the next few weeks, New England’s front office won’t hesitate to write him a record-setting contract extension.