The terrible omen Drake Maye faces after losing in first Super Bowl appearance
The New England Patriots returned to the Super Bowl for the first time in seven years, but fell short of lifting their seventh Lombardi Trophy.
In just his second year, Drake Maye led the New England Patriots back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2019. They got manhandled by the Seattle Seahawks who looked like the better team for all four quarter. The good news is Maye is still young. The bad news is he will be battling history for the rest of his career.
Pats not quite back just yet
Those in New England thought that maybe just maybe their dynasty days were back less than a decade after Tom Brady left Foxborough. Reality set in on Sunday when Drake Maye and the Pats were dominated from start to finish by the Seattle Seahawks, and now there is a dark cloud of uncertainty hanging over Gillette Stadium after seeing the Pats come up well short.
It wasn’t just Drake Maye who was responsible for the loss, but the QB had just 60 yards of passing heading into the final quarter from Levi’s Stadium. He looked rushed, he looked rattled, and he looked far from the MVP candidate that lost out on the award by just a vote. Now the question is, how does Maye bounce back from a heartbreaking loss that may have proven that he wasn’t ready for the moment?
The troubling state surrounding the Patriots, and Maye´s, loss is the history that quarterbacks have after losing their first start on Super Sunday. In the Super Bowl era, there have only been four quarterbacks to have bounced back from a loss in their opening Super Bowl and went on to lift the Lomabrdi Trophy.
Hurts last to join list
Len Dawson lost Super Bowl I with the Kansas City Chiefs, but would bounce back three years later and lead the Chiefs to a Super Bowl title over the Minnesota Vikings. Two years later Bob Griese and the Miami Dolphins would lost to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI, but rebounded the next year, leading Miami to the first undefeated season in 1972. They beat Washington in the Super Bowl that year for the first of two back to back titles.
“They’ll be back” is often said in football, but it just flat out isn’t true very often
— Michael F. Florio (@MichaelFFlorio) February 9, 2026
Only 4 QBs ever won a Super Bowl after losing their first appearance. Jalen Hurts is the only one of the last 20 to even make it back
In 1986, John Elway and the Denver Broncos got to the Super Bowl but lost to the New York Giants and Phil Simms. That was the beginning of a tough few years. Elway would go on to lose three Super Bowls in four years. He finally got the monkey off his back in 1997 when the Broncos beat the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII, and would win the next one over the Atlanta Falcons as well. The last QB to lose his first Super Bowl appearance and then win one was Jalen Hurts. He and the Philadelphia Eagles lost to the Chiefs four years ago, but they bounced back last year to win Super Bowl LIX.
Now it’s up to Maye to join that list. Getting to the Super Bowl in your second year is great, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll ever get back. Just ask Dan Marino. Then there are the tragic cases of Jim Kelly and Fran Tarkenton. Kelly went to four straight Super Bowls, lost them all and never went back. Tarkenton went to three in four years, lost all of them and never got another chance.
Related stories
Get your game on! Whether you’re into NFL touchdowns, NBA buzzer-beaters, world-class soccer goals, or MLB home runs, our app has it all.
Dive into live coverage, expert insights, breaking news, exclusive videos, and more – plus, stay updated on the latest in current affairs and entertainment. Download now for all-access coverage, right at your fingertips – anytime, anywhere.
Complete your personal details to comment