Patriots quarterback Drake Maye appeared with Chris Long on the “Green Light” podcast recently and was asked which players he expected to potentially step up in 2025.
Maye said that he believes that both rookie wideouts Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker will be players who will step forward and make a “splash” next season.
“That’s a good question,” said Maye. “I think we bought into two rookie receivers, I think Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker that were kind of feeling out this year, and they battled some injuries, but I think, hopefully, expecting one of them, if not both, to kind of make a splash this year.”
Neither player made much of an impact last season, with Polk getting off to a decent start after catching eight passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns during the first four games. However, he tailed off from there and finished 2024 with just 12 catches for 87 yards and his two scores. Meanwhile, Baker didn’t finally catch his first NFL pass until the finale against the Bills, which went for 12 yards.
The rookie QB said that one thing he’s definitely focused on this offseason is taking on more of a leadership role, with his hope that both guys make enough progress to potentially be successful next season.
“I think it’s really taking it upon myself. Those guys came in with me, the receivers and quarterback receivers, it’s my job to get them to football but also I think it’s their job and they know to get their stuff together, get to lifting hard and running hard and practicing hard,” said Maye “It’s a different way to practice in the NFL. It takes something off your body, but you still expect to be full speed, expect to be in the right spot, expect to line up right.”
“So I think getting the groove of that and getting the groove of the NFL life was different for all us, rookies, especially the new NIL space. We all think we’re rich coming into the league and really that money goes by fast. So I think this new space is good for us to kind of get a feel of, ‘Hey, you make this lifestyle, and we still got a ways to go and goals we need to meet.’”
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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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