The New England Patriots were a dynasty for the better part of two decades with Tom Brady leading the team. Now, NFL fans are starting to wonder if sustained success is on the horizon for New England yet again. They've got a new superstar quarterback in Drake Maye, and he led the Patriots all the way to a Super Bowl 60 appearance last season.
The team's entire 2026 schedule has yet to be released, but a handful of New England's games have already been leaked. This includes their first home matchup of the season. Jordan Schultz reported that the Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, and the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3.
The Week 2 game will be the home opener, but it isn't clear quite yet which quarterback the defending AFC champions will need to game plan against. As of now, Aaron Rodgers still isn't on the Steelers roster. The future Hall of Famer who quarterbacked the team last year has had a long and drawn-out free agent process yet again.
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The four-time MVP threw for 3,322 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. He played well as a bridge quarterback, but the Steelers have yet to find a true replacement for the 42-year-old. Drew Allar was drafted in the third round, but it isn't clear if he will be able to develop into a starting-caliber quarterback. Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are also on the roster, but Rudolph has been given chances before and fallen short, and Howard seems like a career backup.
Rodgers is clearly the most talented option for the Steelers next year, but he is still contemplating retirement. A contract agreement was expected as a possibility between the 10-time Pro Bowler and the Steelers over the weekend, but it was revealed on the Pat McAfee Show that the two sides didn't interact. This is far from the first time this offseason that a contract agreement seemed to be on the horizon, just for Rodgers to be left sitting at home without a new deal.
Last year, the Cal product didn't sign until June, so there is still time for Rodgers to reemerge as Pittsburgh's signal caller. The Patriots will have to wait to find out who they will defend against in Week 2.
The New England Patriots were a dynasty for the better part of two decades with Tom Brady leading the team. Now, NFL fans are starting to wonder if sustained success is on the horizon for New England yet again. They've got a new superstar quarterback in Drake Maye, and he led the Patriots all the way to a Super Bowl 60 appearance last season.