The Drake Maye struggles have been very much real with the New England Patriots to start the season. Sitting at 1-2 and with numbers far down from his All-Pro second season less than a year ago, the former third overall pick has faced crushing criticism from the Boston and national media alike.
There have been issues pertaining to whether or not the ex-UNC product has a shoulder issue and whispers that there may be discontent brewing between Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel,
Subsequently, a report on Wednesday from WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show went as far as to claim that, per an anonymous insider, Maye is not Vrabel’s guy.
Per: @WEEI, @TheGregHillShow
“Despite what Mike Vrabel has said publicly, it goes back to Drake Maye not being his guy”
Wow
Mike Vrabel Claps Back at Drake Maye Rift Report
“Despite what Mike Vrabel has said publicly, it goes back to Drake Maye not being his guy”, Hill said on Sep. 30, regurgitating the words of his unnamed, “plugged-in” insider who fed him the information.
Vrabel was then asked about this report during his media availability a few hours later, and he did not mince his words during his response.
“I’m here because Drake was the quarterback… I don’t have much to add to that about a comment from an unnamed source.”
“I’m here because Drake was the quarterback… I don’t have much to add to that about a comment from an unnamed source.”
Vrabel Once Again Accused of Not Seeing Maye as his Guy
This is not the first time that rumors have suggested Maye is “not Vrabel’s guy”. Sports betting analyst, Rotowire’s Bill Speros posted a similar comment back on Sep. 10, one day after the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Drafted before Vrabel
Vrabel has little faith in Maye given 1st half game plan
Vrabel will – understandably – have even less faith in Maye moving forward
Hard to believe Vrabel will want to give Maye a $400M extension any time soon
But Vrabel’s retort does make sense. And after the season that Maye had in 2025 in leading a supposedly rebuilding Patriots team to the Super Bowl in just his sophomore season in the NFL, it would be fairly hard to convince someone – let alone Maye’s head coach – that there are realistically acquirable better options out there for the franchise long-term.
After the start that Maye has had, it feels like nothing is off the table. For the moment, however, it would be very surprising if anything major changed in the quarterbacking department in New England – particularly until the return of WR1 A.J. Brown, who is currently nursing a high ankle sprain suffered in Week 1.
Mike Vrabel Slams Report that Drake Maye is ‘Not His Guy’