WATCH: Patriots Rookie Scores NFL’s First Touchdown Of 2026 Season image
Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images
The New England Patriots scored the first touchdown of the 2026 NFL season, and it came from an unexpected target. Drake Maye connected with rookie tight end Eli Raridon for a 2-yard touchdown with 9:11 remaining in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s season opener against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field.
Maye rolled toward the left sideline before finding Raridon uncovered near the goal line. The third-round draft pick secured the short pass and powered through Seattle safety Julian Love to reach the end zone.
The Patriots shared a video of the touchdown, celebrating Raridon for producing the NFL’s first score of the new season. New England later posted another angle of the play with a fitting message.
“Drake Maye & Eli Raridon finish the drive,” the Patriots wrote.
Eli Raridon Makes Immediate Patriots Impact
The touchdown completed an impressive 10-play, 77-yard possession for New England.
Maye helped keep the drive moving with a 6-yard scramble on third-and-4 before completing passes to A.J. Brown and DeMario Douglas. The Patriots then received a significant break when Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe was penalized for defensive pass interference while covering Brown in the end zone.
The 34-yard penalty placed the ball at Seattle’s 2-yard line. Maye immediately capitalized by finding Raridon for the touchdown.
Raridon celebrated by emphatically spiking the ball, prompting the Patriots to joke that the rookie learned the move from veteran tight end Hunter Henry. The moment represented several firsts. It was Raridon’s first regular-season reception, his first NFL touchdown and the first touchdown scored anywhere during the 2026 league year.
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New England selected Raridon with the 95th overall pick in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound tight end played at Notre Dame, where he recorded 48 receptions for 623 yards and three touchdowns across four seasons.
Raridon enjoyed his best collegiate campaign in 2025, finishing with 32 catches for 482 yards while averaging 15.1 yards per reception. His size, athleticism and receiving potential made him an intriguing addition to an offense led by Maye. Raridon needed less than one half of regular-season football to provide the Patriots with an early return on that investment.
The rookie entered Wednesday night without an NFL reception. His first one gave New England the lead over the defending Super Bowl champions and officially opened the league’s 2026 touchdown account.
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