TRANSCRIPT: Drake Maye Interview With Kay Adams

Here’s the full transcript from Drake Maye’s appearance with Kay Adams on Up & Adams on Tuesday:

Joining the show now, the main man in Foxborough and the Pro Bowl, and going viral all week, and just got engaged. Like, Drake, last time I talked to you, none of these things were happening. Good morning.

“Good morning, Kay. How are you? We don’t need highlights on the show. No highlights, no more.”

No highlights? What do you mean? That was my favorite one of the year, but the highlights keep going. You dropped… Oh, Drake. You dropped a dime to a good friend of mine, J’Marr Chase, in the flag football game, Pro Bowl. Please talk me through this breakdown. Please talk me through it.

“Yeah, I think J’Marr made it pretty easy. I think he beat him off the line, and my job is just get it up to him, give him a chance. I think he created enough room where I could about throw it anywhere. It was fun throwing to a guy like that, and what a season he had. It was fun to be at the Pro Bowl around with all the guys. It was pretty cool.”

Kind of nice throwing to an all-Pro receiver, huh?

“Yeah, it was pretty nice. It was pretty nice. But hey, we got some guys in Foxboro that are doing their thing, so I got to do a better job giving them the rock.”

Said like a great quarterback here, what was the one memory, as you’ll remember, all of these little moments that are happening to you over the course of this rookie season and this offseason, really pivotal time for you. What’s the Pro Bowl memory that’s going to stand out when you look back on this in 20 years?

“That’s a great question. That’s a great question, actually. I think probably just hanging around with the other quarterbacks. I think there’s guys, Joe Burrow on the AFC side and Russell [Wilson] and Baker [Mayfield] and Jared [Goff] and Sam [Darnold], just hang around with the other quarterbacks and get to pick their brains from veteran guys that have been around the league and have had great seasons. So I think it was pretty cool to be around them and kind of get to soak it in and ask them questions and just be the rookie myself of asking stupid questions to them, and they’re laughing at me. So it was pretty cool.”

Okay. Now, I need to know the question. I want to know what you asked. I want to know what you picked up.

“We’re at the skills challenge on Thursday night and just not very smart. I didn’t even know we got paid down at the Pro Bowl, so I asked, ‘Hey, do we even get paid to come down here?’ Those guys thought it was a bad question, then dumb question. So a nice rookie question for the veteran QBs.”

I love that. You enjoyed it. You went viral. What a moment. You seemed so happy out there playing. I loved seeing it. You’re the quarterback. You’re answering things all the right way. You’re talking money here. The Patriots have a lot of money. You wouldn’t be a good quarterback if you weren’t doing your thing with recruiting. You’re down there at the Pro Bowl, 120 million in cap space. How much recruiting was going on with some of these Pro Bowl free agents?

“No, I definitely think a little bit. I definitely did get to know some of the guys. Getting to know…tell them a little bit about Boston, about Foxborough, about Gillette a little bit. Tell them about the fan base. I think it’s definitely time to get to know some guys and let them know that the Pats got some things to make some moves this offseason.”

You mentioned, I was reading that Mike Vrabel reached out to you already, got lots of fun things happening in Boston. I need to know what his energy level was on the phone call. Was he full 10 out of 10 Vrabel? Was he underselling? Was he quiet? What was the vibe?

“That’s actually a great question, too. I think probably about 7 out of 10. He had some energy talking to his quarterback. He had some energy and he was kind of fired up to get things going and get things in the right place in Foxborough. So he was excited. It seemed like he was ready to get things going. And as you know, he’s a big dude and obviously a football player himself. So I’m sure he’s got some high energy and holds people accountable.”

What did he say about you?

“I think he’s excited. Excited to work with me. I think, obviously, he’s been a head coach and knows what it’s like to win in this league. And I think he’s excited to get things back at a place he played up there with the Patriots, get things back kind of in line and on the right path. So I think he’s excited to be the head guy moving in that direction. And I think he’s excited to get me up there and put me to work.”

Tennessee Titans Head Coach Mike Vrabel reacts to a Titans penalty against the Seattle Seahawks during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. Vrabel was fired by owner Amy Adams Strunk Monday after having two losing seasons back-to-back.

(PHOTO: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK)

What does that smile mean? What work is he going to put you through?

“Yeah, I think a jump from year one to year two is huge for a quarterback. I think he hired Coach [Josh] McDaniels, and we hired the rest of our staff, so he’s ready to get things in gear, getting up for the season, and shoot, we’re playing in the NFL, so it was always an awesome opportunity to get a chance to compete at it every year.”

What was the first conversation with Josh McDaniels like?

“Yeah, he was awesome. He was awesome. Shoot, I think what he’s done with the Patriots, I think, speaks for itself. He’s coached one of the greatest and I think the greatest to play, and what success he had at the Patriots, and he’s been a head coach as well. So he’s got a lot of experience, and his stuff works, and he proves it works. His stuff’s already in the system from all the years of the databases and the years they had it with Coach McDaniels on kind of the film stuff. It’s been nice. I know a little bit of the terminology just from watching some Old Tom [Brady] stuff, but looking forward to getting things rolling, and he’s fired up as well.”

Was he talking straight Xs and O’s on the first phone call? Was it a FaceTime, a Zoom? How nitty-gritty did we get right away?

“Yeah, a little bit. Offensive coordinators, they always find a way to gravitate towards talking Xs & Os. So it wasn’t too much. I think getting to know me first but obviously, that’s a big deal for him, getting to know his players. So he was awesome.”

Did either Vrabel or McDaniels give you s**t for missing the Vrabel intro press conference to get engaged?

“I didn’t get anything from them, two. I didn’t. If they did, I would apologize. Obviously, I’ll be there for them. But, hey, I think it was a big part of my life. I think I didn’t really know when they were going to hire the head coach. So just… timing was off.”

Well, congratulations to you, to your beautiful now fiance, Ann Michael Hudson, who we cannot wait to celebrate, of course, all year long and the rest of your career in Foxborough up there. You have business to take care of, though, my friend. You are getting ready. Pro Bowl is behind you. You’re thinking free agency, you’re thinking recruiting, You got the Battle of the Paddles with P & G. I was part of this last year. It is so fun. But let me tell you, Drake, it is serious. It is serious competition. I know you play pickleball. I know you’re that guy. What skills? What are you bringing to this matchup?

“Yeah, the P & G Battle of Paddles. First off, I think I’m taking it as a challenge. I think we got to come in here ready to compete. I know there’s some good players in it. I’m sure Kirk Cousins is solid. Micah Parsons, Chris Olave. We got some athletes in there. So I think I’m ready to go. Ping-pong, we play a lot in the locker room. Me and Hunter Henry, we go against each other and we got some nice battles. I’m looking forward to bringing it. You got a chance to watch, it’s on Complex’s YouTube channel tomorrow at 07: 00 PM Eastern, it starts, so tune in. We got a good chance to hopefully bring away the title, and I’m ready to go for it.”

You can watch on Complex’s YouTube channel beginning at 07: 00 PM Eastern. We’ve got Drake Maye, you, of course, Micah Parsons, Chris Olave. Kirk Cousins, you’re saying is your biggest competition. It’s Battle the Paddles with P & G presented by Lowes, P & G, and Lowes, serving up really good deals for fans right now. Last one for you. I was doing the math here. Drake, you were in high school when Patrick Mahomes did the 50 Touchdown thing, his rookie year. What’s your first Mahomes memory? Is it fair to say that you grew up loving him?

“I think it’s a little bit of a stretch, a little too old, maybe to grow up loving him. I grew up loving Cam Newton as a Panthers fan. I grew up loving Cam Newton. From there, my homes, earliest Mahomes moment, I think Texas Tech. I think a big fan of college football, middle school and high school, watching some of his crazy plays and crazy throws was probably my first moment of Mahomes.”

Okay, I’m not going to ask you, last one here, I’m not going to ask you which free agent you’d like to bring to Boston, but I’m going to ask you, if you had $120 million in cap space from P & G for Battle of the Paddles, which free agent that you were around at the Pro Bowl would you want to bring into the mix?

“That’s a great… Kay, you got some great questions here today.”

J’Marr?

“J’Marr is obviously a great answer, I think. Shoot. Another receiver there that I met…. Nico Collins was awesome. Nico was awesome. Any other free agents? Who else? I don’t even know any other free agents. Justin Jefferson, he’s an easy person to come to Foxboro.”

You’re playing this so well. I don’t know who’s a free agent. I’m just being lovely. Patriot fans, you need to know who you have here. You have a guy who’s out there going to the Pro Bowl, throwing dimes, and recruiting for you in free agency with new leadership. It’s all looking up. It’s all ahead of you, Drake Maye. It’s so great to see you. Congrats, and go kick ass at Battle the Paddles. You’re my vote right now. P & G, guys, by the way, through May 7th, fans can receive $10 off by spending $50 or more on P & G products. Bounty, Swiffer, Tide, all at Lowes. So go check that out. Thanks, Drake.

“Thanks, Kay. Yeah, go Pats. Thank you.”

(Editor’s Note: This transcription was done using the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. Please let me know of any errors in the comments below.)

About Ian Logue

Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.

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