Breer Sizes Up 32 NFL Teams Before 2026 Training Camps

Q: With A.J. Brown but a weak O-line, can Patriots QB Drake Maye survive the season to become the NFL's next MVP?

Yes — Drake Maye has a real MVP path, but it depends less on A.J. Brown and more on whether New England’s protection is merely bad instead of disastrous. The case for Maye is already strong. In 2025 he was essentially an MVP runner-up, throwing for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns while leading the league in completion rate, passer rating and QBR. He also added value as a runner, which raises both his floor and his highlight profile. Adding Brown, an elite No. 1 receiver, gives Maye the kind of target who can turn tight-window throws into explosive plays and lift red-zone efficiency. Romeo Doubs further deepens the group. The risk is obvious. Maye was sacked 47 times in the regular season and 21 more in the postseason, and even optimistic projections still have him taking around 45 sacks in 2026. That is not a small issue; it is the central issue. The Patriots did try to address it with Alijah Vera-Tucker and tackle Caleb Lomu, who entered the league with a strong pass-protection reputation, but the line remains the biggest variable in his season. If the line improves from liability to average, Maye has the production base, supporting cast and narrative momentum to win MVP. If protection collapses again, survival becomes the story, not the award race. So the answer is that Maye can become the next MVP, but only if New England’s offensive line improves enough to keep him upright for 17 games.

1 articles · Updated · Sports Illustrated · Jun 29

32 NFL teams got a final pre-camp check-in from Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer, who framed summer around unresolved quarterback battles, contract standoffs and injury recoveries.
Quarterback storylines dominate the league’s break: Atlanta’s Tua Tagovailoa vs. Michael Penix Jr., Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy vs. Kyler Murray, and Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes trending toward 11-on-11 clearance after ACL/LCL rehab.
Several contenders enter camp with narrow swing factors, including Tampa Bay’s push to settle Baker Mayfield’s contract, San Francisco’s expected Brandon Aiyuk exit and the Giants’ wait on Malik Nabers’s ACL recovery.
Breer also highlighted roster-development pressure across rebuilding or rising teams, from Arizona’s 14 top-100 picks under Monti Ossenfort to Miami’s young draft-heavy core and Cleveland’s post-Travis Hunter trade class.
The roundup casts training camp as the next inflection point leaguewide, with playoff hopes for teams like Houston, Denver, the Chargers and the Rams hinging on whether spring promise carries into August.