The New England Patriots are set to enter the 2026 season as the reigning AFC champs. But NFL executives have defined a clear weakness the team hasn’t addressed.
The Pats offensive line continues to be a glaring issue, which rivals likely intend to target in the season ahead.
The Seattle Seahawks unleashed their defensive fury on the Pats in Super Bowl LV, and in the copy-cat NFL, others could pressure quarterback Drake Maye and wreak havoc on their offense.
The League Thinks the Patriots Have an Offensive Line Issue
Maye was sacked 47 times during his second season and got hit 42 times and hurried 42 more times during the 2025 season. But in the playoffs he was sacked 21 times and hurried 35 times in just four games on 120 drop backs.
âThey needed to replace the left tackle,â one NFL long-time personnel exec of a team that will face New England this season told Jason La Canfora of Sports Boom. âDrake Maye got hit too much. I donât think they have enough talent on the OL (offensive line) and DL (defensive line) to do what they did last year.â
The Patriots traded up to the No. 28 pick to select tackle Caleb Lomu from Utah then spent a sixth-round pick on O-lineman Dametrious Crownover. Still, both will need time to develop before making an impact.
“New England didn’t add veteran upgrades to the offensive line and trading up for Utah tackle Caleb Lomu was seen as something to fortify their line for the future more than the present,” La Canfora wrote. “One could argue that Maye, an MVP finalist, is just scratching the surface, but then again that was said about Commanders QB Jaylen Daniels after his 2024 campaign and a bad offensive line, pedestrian run game and too many big hits totally derailed his sophomore campaign.”
Drake Maye May Feel the Heat in 2026
The Pats are playing a first-place schedule, with road games against the Seahawks, Los Angeles Chargers, Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs while hosting the Pittsburgh Steelers, Denver Broncos and of course the rival Buffalo Bills.
With those defenses, Maye could feel the heat.
âMaye is going to be under a lot of pressure,â one NFL GM told La Canfora.
The Patriots had a dominant defense, serviceable-enough offense and historically weak schedule in 2025. So the Patriots were to able to play from ahead for much of their games.
But with better competition will come more competitive games, and the Pats are bound to fall behind, which could lead to problems if pass rushes can get after him.
“The Patriots rarely trailed in games last season and could rely on getting volume in the run game to help out the poor pass protection and help Maye get through the season,” La Canfora wrote. “Game script might not be nearly as conducive this time around.
“The Patriots led in the first half in 15 of their 17 games, they went on to win 13 of those contests, a figure that is virtually certain to drop this season as they play a first-place schedule.”
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