Drake Maye's Dad Mark 'Surprised' Patriots Made Super Bowl 60 vs. Seahawks

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye's father, Mark, didn't expect his son's team to advance to Super Bowl LX and face the Seattle Seahawks.

"Like everybody, I'm surprised they made the Super Bowl," Mark told Scott Fowler of The News & Observer (h/t Natasha Dye of People). "Now I thought they'd be better than what people were expecting. I'm a little more optimistic — maybe a little biased — about all of my kids' teams and always have been. Honestly, it wouldn't have surprised me for them to make the playoffs. But to make the Super Bowl? That's pretty tough to do."

His surprise is understandable, as the Patriots' turnaround was unexpected. New England finished with a 4-13 record in 2024, Maye's rookie season, before clinching the AFC East with a 14-3 finish in 2025.

The Patriots are just the sixth team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after winning five or fewer games the previous season (h/t ESPN's Mike Reiss).

While new head coach Mike Vrabel deserves plenty of credit for his impact on a New England defense that ranked No. 4 among all teams by allowing a mere 18.8 points per game, the Patriots also thrived largely due to Maye's impressive sophomore season.

He completed 72.0 percent of his throws for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns compared to eight interceptions. Maye's 77.1 QBR ranked No. 1 among 28 qualified quarterbacks during the regular season, via ESPN.

In the playoffs, he's thrown for 533 yards and four touchdowns while getting picked off twice. Maye has also rushed for 141 yards in three postseason appearances.

Kickoff between the Patriots and Seahawks in Super Bowl LX is on Feb. 8 at 6:30 p.m. ET.