Troy Aikman's strong take on Drake Maye, Patriots offense goes viral

Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman isn’t ready to simply lay all of the blame at Drake Maye’s feet for the New England Patriots’ recent struggles.

Last year, Maye played like an elite quarterback and placed second in MVP voting behind Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. The nosedive started in the playoffs when the Patriots ran into a murderer’s row of defensive powerhouses, including the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks.

It was the game against the Seahawks at Super Bowl LX where things ultimately broke for the young quarterback. The effects of that game have seemingly lingered into the 2026 season, with the Patriots’ offense currently ranking near the bottom of the league.

So far, Maye has thrown one touchdown pass and turned the ball over seven times.

“I think Joe Montana could have been the quarterback in that Super Bowl and the result was gonna be what it was,” Aikman said on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown. “All fingers point to Drake Maye, but there was a lot going on, and there were not a lot of answers. First of all, whether you go back to last year in the playoffs, they played a lot of good defenses, and they’ve opened up this season with a lot of good defenses as well. That’s part of it. When you’re the AFC champs, you’ve got to play well against those people.

“He’s gotta play better, he’s gotta make better decisions. They have not protected him very well, and his receivers have not gotten much separation. There’s a lot there, but every fan who watches a team play, they walk away from that game feeling like they know how the quarterback is. I’m not defending Drake, but in a way, I am. There’s a lot going on within that offense that has to be better, and Drake’s a part of that.”

Maye’s favorite wide receivers from last season, Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte, are no longer with the team. A.J. Brown, Maye’s favorite target in training camp, injured his ankle and went on IR after Week 1. The right side of the offensive line hasn’t been good, and Romeo Doubs, the Patriots’ big free-agent acquisition, has been a complete disappointment in the offense to this point.

So far, it has been a systematic failure on offense that points to more than just the 24-year-old quarterback being at fault.

The coaching staff, most notably head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, must own some of that responsibility as well.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Troy Aikman’s strong take on Drake Maye, Patriots offense goes viral