Rob Gronkowski
Rob Gronkowski Reveals New England Patriots' Problem Amid Rough NFL Start 1
October 5, 2026 NFL, Featured, New England Patriots
Rob Gronkowski believes the New England Patriots are struggling because they are allowing pressure to affect their play, while Drake Maye has also lost some of the confidence that fueled his previous success. The former Patriots star sees the team’s difficult start as a challenge that could ultimately help Maye develop into a better quarterback if he finds a way through the slump.
Gronkowski believes the Patriots are trying to force too many plays instead of allowing the game to develop naturally. That approach has placed additional pressure on the offense, with Maye appearing less comfortable in the pocket and attempting throws that can turn manageable situations into costly mistakes.
"Do We Owe Drake Maye an Apology?": New Proof Emerges in Viral 'Blood on Ball' Photo"Do We Owe Drake Maye an Apology?": New Proof Emerges in Viral 'Blood on Ball' Photo
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) scrambles against the Tennessee Titans during the first quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025.
For Maye, the immediate priority is rebuilding his confidence and returning to the fundamentals that helped him play effectively last season. Rather than trying to make something happen on every possession, the young quarterback needs to recognize when a play has broken down, take the safer option and avoid forcing passes into dangerous situations.
The current struggles also represent unfamiliar territory for Maye after a strong showing last season. Gronkowski believes experiencing adversity at this stage of his career can become valuable if Maye learns how to respond, regain his confidence and avoid allowing the difficult stretch to affect his decision-making on future drives.
Rob Gronkowski Reveals What’s Wrong With New England Patriots Amid Rough NFL Start
NFL, Rob Gronkowski, Baltimore RavensNFL, Rob Gronkowski, Baltimore Ravens
Dec 13, 2025; Inglewood, CA, USA; Rob Gronkowski holds the LA Bowl championship belt that he presented to Washington Huskies head coach Jedd Fisch after defeating the Boise State Broncos at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Gronkowski shared his thoughts about New England and their struggles this season. This can be seen in an interview by RotoWire.
Q: Patriots, your former team, they’re off to a rough start, man. Not many people expected this. What are your overall thoughts on the season? Why are they struggling? Obviously, Drake Maye is not having a great season.
Gronkowski: They’re just kind of forcing it too much. I feel like they have a lot of pressure on the table, and the pressure is getting to them. They just got to relax, play ball. Drake Maye just has to go back in the pocket and just do what he does. His confidence isn’t there. He needs to rebuild that confidence. He needs to just go down, throw the ball away when necessary, instead of trying to force it in and causing turnovers. This is the first time he’s been in this streak. Obviously, last year he played well, but this is the first time he’s been in a down streak.
This could actually make him a better quarterback in the end if he knows how to fight himself out of this, if he knows how to get his confidence back, get out of his own head. This is going to make him a tremendous quarterback down in the future. But it’s all about if you can get out of this slump, if you can build that confidence back. This offense isn’t just Drake Maye’s problem. This is a whole offense problem. Wide receivers need to step up as well. They got to get open. They got to put some more cushion where he can throw the ball instead of putting it in a tight window every single time.
However, the former tight end does not view Maye as the only problem with the offense. New England’s receivers also need to contribute by creating more separation and giving their quarterback larger throwing windows, particularly when the offense is repeatedly relying on difficult passes into tight coverage.
The Patriots’ early struggles have therefore become a test for the entire offense rather than one player. If Maye can regain his confidence while the rest of the unit improves its execution, the difficult stretch could become an important part of his development and potentially help establish the foundation for a more consistent quarterback in the future.