New England Patriots Executive Vice President of Player Personnel Eliot Wolf discussed quarterback Drake Maye’s contract when he met with the media earlier this week. He indicated that the Patriots will have a set plan when it comes to the contract. Yahoo.com’s Jori Epstein reported this.
Maye is coming off the 2025 season that saw him record 1,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions across 17 games. He finished with a 113.5 passer rating. The signal-caller also earned Second-Team All-Pro honors as well.
However, his success during the 2025 season went beyond basic statistics as well. He was very good against tight coverages, throwing for 1,149 yards and 18 touchdowns against man defense. Any worries about a sophomore slump were immediately put to rest, as the North Carolina product showed what he was made of.
This year will be a bit different, however. The Patriots will go up against the sixth-hardest schedule in the NFL, and will face several big-time opponents in marquee games. With that being said, his body of work over the past two seasons has established him as a franchise cornerstone. Wolf made it clear that his quarterback’s contract is the top priority.
“That’s our No. 1 priority,” Wolf said of Maye’s eventual extension. “Obviously we have other priorities, but that’s our No. 1 priority and I think it just gives you some advantages, especially as we were kind of restocking in free agency last year, we spent the most money in the league, and then again this year when we kind of went heavy again. That’s not necessarily sustainable, especially when we have guys like [Christian] Gonzalez and Drake coming down the pipe here.
Maye Was Early Success For Patriots
The seeds were planted in 2024. Maye made his debut against the Houston Texans in week six. He went 20-of-33 on the day, throwing for 243 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions. The Patriots ultimately lost the game. However, there were signs that he could be a solid quarterback in the league. One of his best plays of the day was a 40-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte. At that point, it was the longest Patriots touchdown pass in over a year.
Statistically, the proof is in the proverbial pudding. He ranks second in passing touchdowns among his peers with 46 and third among the 2024 rookie class with 6,670 yards. He leads the entire class and career passer rating with a 103.1 mark. The quarterback also takes the cake in terms of completion percentage as he has a 69.8 mark.
A Forward-Thinking Move By Patriots
There is little doubt that he is going to be a cornerstone for the Patriots franchise. At the very least, this is for-thinking by Wolf. The organization would be wise to get a long-term deal done while on his rookie deal. As both alluded to in his quote, Maye and Gonzalez are factoring into the team’s future plans. Now, it is about retaining them. The Patriots went from 2012-2024 without signing a first-round pick to a second contract. Kyle Dugger ultimately broke the streak that year.
Retaining players like Maye, and Gonzalez, are going to be important for the Patriots’ future. They are the types of players that you build around. This will definitely be something worth watching, especially as the months go forward. There is no sense of urgency in the fact that the quarterback might hit free agency. Rather, it’s a chance to take advantage of this unique window that the Patriots currently have.
Wolf can jump out ahead on a new deal for Maye. He would certainly be wise to take advantage of this opportunity.
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