Drake Maye enters the 2026 regular season as a mobile quarterback whose rushing production has become a core element of his profile after posting 450 yards and four rushing touchdowns in 17 games during 2025. He added seven carries for 47 yards in the Patriots' Week 1 loss to Seattle, continuing a pattern of high scramble volume that ranked among the league's highest last year. The addition of A.J. Brown and other receiving upgrades aims to ease pressure on the pocket, potentially preserving designed runs and red-zone opportunities in Josh McDaniels' offense. A tougher schedule and early-season turnover issues could affect game scripts and goal-line usage, while Maye's athleticism and prior multi-touchdown rushing games provide a realistic path to repeating or exceeding last year's ground scores.