The New England Patriots are less than a week away from opening the 2026 campaign with a Super Bowl LX rematch against the Seattle Seahawks. This Patriots team is very different-looking from the one we saw on the field back in February, and it’s clear they will be looking for vengeance in this game.
Easily the biggest addition New England made this offseason was a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles for star wide receiver A.J. Brown. With Drake Maye now having a de facto No. 1 wide receiver leading the way in the air for him, the sky’s the limit for this team, and Brown made it clear recently that he is very much looking forward to taking the field with his new quarterback.
A.J. Brown Gushes Over Drake Maye Ahead of Patriots Debut
In his second season with the Patriots, Maye turned in an MVP-caliber campaign, throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns in 17 games of action. While Stefon Diggs turned in a strong bounce-back season, New England knew that it was going to need to upgrade Maye’s wide receiver corps this offseason.
While the Pats let Diggs walk in free agency, they replaced him by signing Romeo Doubs in free agency. The big move was acquiring Brown, though, as he’s a three-time All-Pro who has proven himself to be one of the top wide receivers in the league when he is healthy and properly motivated.
The main storyline for N.E. throughout training camp has revolved around Maye and Brown’s relationship, which was on full display during the team’s joint practices against the Eagles. The real test will come once the regular season arrives, and so far, it sounds like things are going quite well when it comes to the chemistry between this quarterback/wide receiver duo.
“He’s such a great guy,” Brown said of Maye in a sit-down interview with Patriots legend Devin McCourty. “He always takes the blame for every little thing. I’m like, ‘Drake, it’s OK. It’s not that deep.’ He’s incredible. Fun to play with. I can’t wait.”
Patriots Hoping for Big Things From A.J. Brown, Drake Maye in 2026
Considering what Maye accomplished last year with a less-than-stellar supporting cast, it’s not hard to see why expectations are so high for this offense in 2026. Sure, there are some injury concerns surrounding Brown, but so far, he and Maye have appeared to be in sync with each other, and there’s reason to believe that this relationship can carry over to the regular season.
This duo is going to be tested right away in Week 1, as the Seahawks feature one of the top cornerbacks in the league, Devon Witherspoon, who will likely be shadowing Brown for the majority of this game. Kickoff for this contest is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on Wednesday, and all eyes will be on Maye and Brown to see how they fare in their first game together.
A.J. Brown Sends Strong Message to Drake Maye Before Patriots Debut