When was the last time the Patriots played a Super Bowl without Tom Brady?
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye has led the New England Patriots back to the NFL Championship Game.
For the first time since the departure of Tom Brady in 2020, the New England Patriots are back at the top table.
The Patriots booked their place at Super Bowl LX with a 10-7 victory over the Denver Broncos on Sunday. They will take on the winner of the Seattle Seahawks and the Los Angeles Rams in Santa Clara, California on February 8.
10-7 is the lowest combined score in a Conference Championship or Super Bowl since the Patriots beat the Rams 13-3 in Super Bowl LIII. pic.twitter.com/QimUUZUaVq
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) January 25, 2026
New England are in their first season under head coach Mike Vrabel, with quarterback Drake Maye in his first season as an NFL starter. Eight years on from the team’s last Super Bowl appearance, Maye is looking to join Tom Brady on the short list of quarterbacks to win a championship with the Patriots.
For context, the last time the Patriots reached a Super Bowl without Brady was in the 1996 season, when Drew Bledsoe was the team’s starting quarterback. Bledsoe was the No. 1 pick at the 1993 NFL draft and he became the youngest Pro Bowl quarterback in 1995.
When was the last time the Patriots won a Super Bowl?
On Sunday the Patriots extended the record as the NFL team with the most Super Bowl appearances. The Patriots will soon have played in the NFL Championship Game 12 times (1985, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2026).
The most recent triumph came in 2018, when Tom Brady led the team to a 13-3 win over the Rams in Super Bowl LIII. Brady was involved in nine of the team’s 11 previous Super Bowl appearances.
The only other Patriots seasons that ended in a Super Bowl appearance were 1985 (Super Bowl XX) and 1996 (Super Bowl XXXI). On both occasions the Patriots fell just short of a championship.
Heading into the 2025 season the Patriots had not won a single postseason game since Brady’s departure in 2020. Now, they stand just one game away from a historic seventh Super Bowl title.
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