Drake Maye struggled to hold back tears after suffering a nightmare Super Bowl debut as the Patriots were heavily beaten by the Seahawks in Santa Clara.
Seattle won its second ever Super Bowl crown with a dominant 29-13 win over New England at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday.
Maye entered the game hoping to emulate Tom Brady and lead the Patriots to a record seventh championship.
But the 23-year-old endured a punishing afternoon in Santa Clara as the Seahawks defense ran riot. Maye was sacked six times and threw two interceptions and afterwards he was overcome with emotion.
‘If you make [the plays], you’re out there celebrating. If you don’t you’re sitting here crying at a podium,’ the quarterback said.
‘I’m so proud, that’s probably the reason I’m choked up most – this team is something that I’m just glad to be a part of.’
Drake Maye struggled to hold back tears after suffering a nightmare Super Bowl debut
Maye, 23, was bullied by a brutal Seattle Seahawks defense on the night in Santa Clara
Maye bowed his head before paying tribute to the whole Patriots organization. ‘The people who make the place – great people all round that help us. The support staff and a great fan base.
‘I’m just glad to have this uniform on and I look forward to getting back and playing another one.’
He added: ‘It’s a business at this level but it’s more than that. It’s more than that in a game like this… there are people in there that are doing it not for the money or fame and that’s what is cool about this team.’
The quarterback’s voice also broke as he addressed the future of the Patriots under head coach Mike Vrabel, who led them to the Super Bowl in his first season.
‘No doubt about it, he was the reason why we are here… I look forward to having a relationship with him for a long time,’ the quarterback said.
‘It’s hard to have that sink in right now… hopefully a lot of same faces are here. [But] with the nature of the business, I know it won’t be like that. But this team was awesome.’
Maye underlined the importance of the Patriots players ‘sticking together’ in the wake of this heartbreak, adding ‘It’s going to hurt and sting for a while.
‘But that’s what you sign up for so that’s what you get.’
!['If you make [the plays], you're out there celebrating. If you don't you're here crying,' he said](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2026/02/09/05/106218523-15541503-It_was_a_horrid_night_for_Drake_Maye_as_the_New_England_Patriots-a-2_1770616195068.jpg)
‘If you make [the plays], you’re out there celebrating. If you don’t you’re here crying,’ he said
The quarterback took responsibility for the Patriots’ offensive struggles, admitting they ‘didn’t show up’ with the ball. ‘It starts with me,’ he said.
‘I just have to be better with the football – make better decisions, make better throws… I’d like to go back to the beginning and redo it.’
But, Maye added: ‘The biggest thing about about life – you’re going to have times like this – it’s how you bounce back.
‘I think all those guys in our locker room, we’re gonna use this as fuel.’
