In many ways, Drake Maye was a revelation at quarterback for the New England Patriots in 2025. Sure, the No. 3 overall pick in 2024 always had massive expectations on his shoulders, but nobody thought he’d be the MVP runner-up by his second NFL season.
Now, a year removed from making a Super Bowl run, Maye and the Patriots won’t catch anyone by surprise. Even more challenging, the Patriots are set to face a much more difficult schedule in 2026 than they saw in 2025.
With that in mind, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated took stock of where the Patriots currently stand. There, he had a simple question for Maye and the Patriots. What happens if Maye improves again?
“It would be weird to say that Drake Maye is an x-factor in the Patriots’ season, after a near-MVP campaign in his second year, but here’s a question to ponder,” Breer wrote. “What if Maye finds another level in 2026?”
In 2025, Maye completed 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns to 8 interceptions. All of those numbers improved on his rookie season. He also rushed for 450 yards and another 4 touchdowns on the ground.
The Patriots put a major effort forward this offseason to put weapons around Maye. A.J. Brown and Romeo Doubs at wide receiver are the most notable of those additions. That, combined with the chance to improve once again, could make the Patriots excellent once again.
“It’s something to consider, given Maye’s physical gifts and that he’ll be with the same play-caller in consecutive seasons for the first time since high school. There’s plenty of optimism in Foxborough that could be coming, which would help combat the natural regression that a tougher schedule and/or swing in injury luck would provoke,” Breer wrote.
New England Patriots Veteran on Why Drake Maye Will Improve in 2026
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
Even within the New England Patriots team, there is a lot of excitement about what an improved Drake Maye could do. In particular, as he gets a second season playing under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
Veteran tight end Hunter Henry spoke about that connection in the Spring. He explained that because of how difficult the scheme is, being in the second season of it is going to allow Maye to finally start to master it.
“I think the underrated thing he has this year is obviously going into Year 2 in the system is big,” Henry said. “This system demands a lot on the quarterback position. To have a whole offseason to be in the same scheme and really build on what he did last year, I’m excited to see the jump and progress he can make on a day-to-day basis.”
Brian Hoyer, a former quarterback who played for McDaniels, added to that this Spring. In particular, the focus McDaniels has on understanding his offense.
“I always knew the ‘what’ early on in my career, but understanding the ‘why’ came with time. By the end of my time with Josh, I understood the reason for every playcall he was putting in. This year, Drake is going to understand the ‘why’ on the majority of things, which is going to make him play even faster as far as progressions,” Hoyer said.
“And the wild card with him is just the athleticism. I thought he did a tremendous job last year knowing when to use it. Now, it will become an even bigger weapon because his mind will be sharper knowing what to do. To me, that’s the natural progression.”
Maye Was Disrespected by CBS Sports
GettyNew England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye
CBS Sports recently shared a ranking of the Top 100 NFL Players. In it, analyst Pete Prisco seemingly ignored Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, ranking him 61st on the list a year removed from his MVP runner-up finish.
Prisco effectively argued that it came down to a poor postseason from Maye. That’s the same postseason that Maye took the Patriots to the Super Bowl in.
“He finished second in MVP voting in his second season, leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl. He threw 31 touchdown passes and just eight interceptions, but he didn’t play well in the postseason,” Prisco wrote.
In total, Maye was ranked behind eight other quarterbacks in the NFL. He’ll have plenty of chances in 2026 to prove he’s much better than that ranking.
Albert Breer Has a Major Question for Patriots QB Drake Maye in 2026