SPORTS · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Patriots' Mike Vrabel Defends Drake Maye Amid Struggles
WHY IT MATTERS
The Patriots' season is off to a mixed start, with Maye's struggles raising questions about the team's chances of recapturing last year's form, and Vrabel's defense of his quarterback may not silence the concerns about his performance for long.
What happened
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel snapped at reporters over concerns about quarterback Drake Maye's performance after a 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Maye completed 14 of 22 passes for 208 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception.
The 23-year-old quarterback has thrown four interceptions and just one touchdown pass through two games, a far cry from his 2025 campaign when he threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns.
Vrabel's tense exchange with reporters came after a disastrous season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, where Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions, including one in the end zone with 26 seconds remaining.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Mike Vrabel snaps at reporter over Drake Maye's struggles after Pats win: 'you're not going to ruin my Sunday'
Fox News · Discovery only; publisher copyright terms apply
CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Sep 21, 2026, 3:30 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Sep 21, 2026, 3:30 AM