The New England Patriots are just days away from kicking off their 2025 NFL season, in which some fans will be hoping for them to make a return to the playoffs for the first time since 2021. The Patriots made some big offseason additions, headlined by the hire of new head coach Mike Vrabel as well as bringing in veteran star wide receiver Stefon Diggs.

Still, the head of the snake for New England is quarterback Drake Maye, who took over the starting job for the team midway through last year and had a decent rookie season considering the circumstances, flashing the star potential that allowed him to be selected number three overall the previous spring.

Recently, the trust that Mayes' Patriots teammates have in their quarterback was proven by his inclusion in the list of this year's team captains.

“Patriots 2025 captains: QB Drake Maye, LB Robert Spillane, TE Hunter Henry, CB Marcus Jones, LB Harold Landry, S Brenden Schooler,” reported Doug Kyed of the Boston Herlad on X, formerly Twitter.

Can the Patriots make the playoffs?

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts after defeating the Washington Commanders at Gillette Stadium.
Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images
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Not many expect the New England Patriots to be real contenders this season, but they are widely viewed as a potential team that could rise up from their spot in the NFL cellar that they occupied a year ago.

In addition to the veteran talent that they brought in this offseason, the Patriots also have a widely heralded coach in Vrabel, who coincidentally was the same coach of the opposing Tennessee Titans who eliminated New England in the last game of the Tom Brady era back in 2019-2020. That was also the last time the Patriots played a home game at Gillette Stadium.

Meanwhile, the team will be looking for continued improvement from Maye, who has undeniable arm talent that could theoretically be put to better use with more time to see the field. It's unclear whether he'll get it this year, as the Patriots are expected to start multiple rookies on their offensive line to open up the season.

The Patriots are set to kick off the 2025 campaign at home against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 7 at 1:00 PM ET.

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