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By Andrew Gould
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Pundits aren't waiting to sound the sirens over Drake Maye's brutal start to the 2026 season.
Maye's alarming September struggles continued in Sunday's 31-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Last year's MVP runner-up now has 585 passing yards, one touchdown, and six interceptions through three games for the 1-2 New England Patriots.
ESPN asked if the Patriots should be patient or panicked by the 24-year-old quarterback's struggles on Wednesday's "First Take." All three panelists chose panic.
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"'I'd be very, very worried," Christopher "Mad Dog" Russo said. "... He's been off to a terrible start. He was terrible against Jacksonville. Listen, I know he was great last year for the most part. First year you saw some things, but I think you have to be a little worried. So I'm not gonna go patience. I'll go panic for Drake Maye."
Jordan Rodgers is also concerned, but the former college quarterback directed the blame toward Maye's teammates.
"I'm going panic as well," Rodgers said. "I love Drake. The problem is, it's not just that A.J. Brown is not on the field. The receivers that are on the field have been bad."
Rodgers criticized the wide receivers for running poor routes, causing Maye to wait longer than he should to get the ball out of his hands. An offseason acquisition also hasn't paid dividends for New England.
"Every aspect of the pass game looks broken," Rodgers claimed. "And Romeo Doubs was supposed to be an upgrade to Kayshon Boutte; he's not. He hasn't been so far, so I worry about this group as a whole."
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Kimberley A. Martin also doesn't like how Maye has played to start his third NFL season.
"I am panicked because what we're seeing from Drake Maye is completely -- I know he didn't play well in the playoffs, but he just does not seem comfortable," Martin said. "He looks like he doesn't know where to go with the football."
Martin said that head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels have given their quarterback "no answers" to fix the rough patch. She also wondered if all the public doubts raised during and after their Super Bowl run are "mentally messing" with Maye.
"Somebody help the kid out because he looks lost," Martin urged.
The Patriots will need Maye to rebound during a crucial AFC East showdown against the Buffalo Bills this Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
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