The New England Patriots coaching staff has learned one thing for sure about Drake Maye since training camp began: he’s a leader.
Mike Reiss of ESPN wrote a story detailing a day of Patriots training camp under new head coach Mike Vrabel. Maye was put through a rigorous practice drill where he needed to decisively call out the cadence before the entire offense ran a sprint on the correct snap count.
Vrabel’s drill was intended to push the players to dig deeper as they prepare for the 2025 NFL season. But for Drake Maye, it was a clear test of his leadership abilities. Starting Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson was impressed with Maye’s ability to lead the offense.
“He’s a leader. He has that kind of ‘oomph’ to him,” Stevenson declared.
GettyDrake Maye is emerging as a long-term Patriots leader who can bring the team back to playoff glory.
Drake Maye Has Already Impressed Josh McDaniels
As he enters his second year with the Patriots, the expectations are growing for him to become more than just the next name who couldn’t live up to the legacy of Tom Brady. However, Maye is lucky to work with his long-time Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
The Patriots are in the early days of training camp, but Maye has already made an impression to McDaniels for his leadership. “He’s doing really well. He’s very smart. Works really hard,” McDaniels told ESPN. “He’s doing a really good job of digesting the information… and going out there with a great attitude and mindset the next day.”
Patriots quarterback coach Ashton Grant also sang Drake Maye’s praises about how he has been able to adapt quickly to the new coaching staff. “I think Drake is doing a helluva job with a change from one offense to a new offense,” Grant said. “He’s been super intentional with everything we have asked him to do. I couldn’t be happier with where he is right now.”
GettyDrake Maye is improving, but he’s playing for a franchise that measures success in championships.
What Does Success Look Like For the Patriots in 2025?
“I’m starting to really find a stride,” Maye said, via Patriots.com. “It’s all the same concepts in the league, but it’s different words, different verbiage. The same guys are running [routes], but just feeling out how they run it and timing when you get into different concepts. It’s been good.”
For nearly 25 years, New England has been the franchise of “Super Bowl or bust” aspirations. The desire to win is still as present as it ever was under Bill Belichick. The difference is that Patriots Nation gave Maye a chance to get his feet wet as a rookie, but now is the time to start swimming.
“Last year, being a rookie, trying to come in here and earn my stripes, earn my keep through hard work. This year, it’s the same approach,” Maye explained. “We have new guys in here, new staff. I have to keep getting to know everybody and show my work ethic. From there, try to take the next step in leadership and leading the offense.”
Most critics and fans don’t expect Maye to bring the Patriots to the Super Bowl this year, yet most feel the franchise can do better than just four wins a season. Drake Maye is not expected to lead the team to glory immediately, but Patriots fans should know to expect the unexpected.
Drake Maye Already Winning Over Patriots Coaches for Unexpected Reason