Patriots associate's blunt take on Year 2 difference in QB Drake Maye
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler checked in with the Patriots to get a feel of how Maye was progressing behind the scenes, and he was left with some incredibly positive feedback surrounding the former first-round draft pick out of North Carolina.
'I talked to somebody with the team who said pretty bluntly, like he looks like an NFL quarterback now," Fowler said on ESPN's SportsCenter. "And not that he didn't last year, but when you're a rookie, your head's spinning, you got 100 different things you're worried about as you're getting started. Now, everything is calm and collected. He looks composed. So, they are ready for a Year 2 jump. They feel like they have more around him now.'
Maye is coming off a Pro Bowl season as a rookie last year. Despite playing behind a struggling offensive line with lackluster receiving weapons, he still threw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. The team spent the 2025 offseason trying to build around him to compete.
They might finally have enough pieces to compete with the additions of players like four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs, explosive rookie wideout Kyle Williams and top rookie left tackle Will Campbell. A favorable 2025 schedule should help as well.
Ultimately, it will be up to Maye to put it all together and fully establish himself as a franchise quarterback.
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