The leap that New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye took from his rookie season in 2024 to his second season in 2025 was extraordinary. Now, he’s working to improve again in 2026.
There is a lot of hope around the Patriots that Maye can do that too. After all, as veteran tight end Hunter Henry explained, this is Maye’s second season working with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and he’ll have a better understanding of the offense from the start of the year.
“I think the underrated thing he has this year is obviously going into Year 2 in the system is big,” Henry recently 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.”
The last time that Drake Maye had the same offensive coordinator for multiple seasons was 2021 and 2022, when he was a freshman and sophomore at North Carolina. He had a different offensive coordinator for his junior season in college, his rookie season in the NFL, and his second NFL season.
That second NFL season, working with McDaniels, is when Maye broke through and ended up finishing second in MVP voting while leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl. He finished the season completing 72% of his passes for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns. He also rushed for 450 yards and 4 touchdowns on the ground.
Former New England Patriots QB Brian Hoyer Praises Drake Maye, Josh McDaniels
GettyNew England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels
One quarterback who can offer some unique insight into playing for Josh McDaniels is long-time backup Brian Hoyer. He had multiple stints with the New England Patriots and, in turn, played for McDaniels during multiple runs with the team.
Hoyer explained that the strength of McDaniels is explaining why you’re doing things as a quarterback. Once Maye learns that, it’s going to improve his play because he’ll be reacting quicker.
“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.”
Succeeding under McDaniels isn’t easy. Hoyer already saw Maye do that, though. So, he should thrive in his second season under that system.
“You have to make the Mike [linebacker] point in the running game, you have to obviously learn the terminology of the playbook. It’s like swallowing a hippo. Josh would always say, ‘You can only do one bite at a time.’ So, last year would have been a whirlwind for Drake to absorb all of this,” Hoyer said.
“To see the growth from, call it last May to the Super Bowl, was really remarkable in my opinion. … Now, he’s going to have all that to build off going into this offseason of OTAs. He’s in meetings; he has extreme ownership over it. Being in the second year in a system is so vital.”
Patriots Tight End Julian Hill Praised Drake Maye
GettyNew England Patriots QB Drake Maye
The New England Patriots added tight end Julian Hill this offseason. He doesn’t have the same experience with Drake Maye that Hunter Henry does, but he has gotten to know him recently, and it’s been an impressive experience, in particular from a leadership standpoint.
“What a quarterback. I’m not just saying that to say because I’m a Patriot,” Hill recently said. “What a quarterback. Guy’s young, vocal. Guy’s a leader. He took me in the first couple days (here), and we went to the offensive room, going over fronts, you know what I mean? Hell of a quarterback, man.”
Hill himself is going to be tasked this offseason with learning the Josh McDaniels offense too. That’s easier to get done with a confident leader at quarterback.
The addition of Hill, as well as Eli Raridon in the NFL Draft, to go with Hunter Henry, should give the Patriots a very talented tight end room. That will also give McDaniels versatility in the personnel he plays, adding to the layers in the Patriots’ offense.
Patriots Veteran Explains Why QB Drake Maye is Set to Improve in 2026