TRANSCRIPT: Drake Maye Press Conference 9/24
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Here’s what Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had to say on Wednesday, September 24, 2025.
On how was practice:
“It was good. I think just a chance to get back out there and kind of reestablish what we’re trying to be as a football team. I think it’s one of those games that you just look back and be like, ‘Man, we hurt ourselves.’ I think it’s one of those things, just get back to focus on us and a new opponent and knowing that we can … got to know how to not lose the game on ourselves before we go win it.”
On the fact he’s top five in passing yards, top 10 in touchdowns, and if he pays attention to that and if it matters to him:
“I think winning matters to me. I think that’s the main goal, why I play this position, why I play this sport. I think a quarterback’s, the ultimate status is wins. I think that’s the biggest thing that I focus on. If that’s throwing 10 touchdowns in a game or throwing one pass in a game, just trying to win.”
On if he likes going up against Christie Gonzales in practice:
“Yeah, Gonzo. I mean, since the day I got here, it’s always good to have somebody, him and CD [Carlton Davis], on the other side of the ball that make it challenging, that make it challenging to make throws. They don’t make it easy. I think that’s things where you develop with guys on my side of the ball, a different kind of level above the next when he’s making throws difficult, when he’s making this route difficult, back shoulders on go routes, and little things like that. He’s a great player, and I’m looking forward to seeing him when he gets back.”
On how he looks:
“Yeah, I think he’s got some swag to him, he’s always got swag. So I always try to find time to ask him, ‘Hey, what can I do to up my swag? Because I don’t have much out there.’ But no, Gonz always… Every time he’s smooth, you all see him play. He’s smooth, he’s patient. He’s one of the best in the game.”
On what it means for the chance to play against his hometown team:
“I think it’s different playing up here. Going back to Charlotte would have been different. But going against the team that I grew up watching, I grew up cheering for, and a lot of great memories in that stadium back in Bank of America. So it’s a little different, but at the same time, it’s still just another week in the NFL. None of the same players that I grew up playing for, besides the long-snapper’s still there.
On if it’s at all encouraging that the mistakes from last week’s turnovers, if he views them as relatively easy fixes, and if he’s encouraged by, ‘Hey, if we can just hold on to the ball, we’ve got something here?’
“Like I said, not beating ourselves. That’s the big thing. And that’s the… Shoot, it’s turnovers. Turnovers in this league are such a big deal. It’s one of those things that we can clean up. I think you hold on to football and me holding on to pocket. And the running backs is something that I do think is fixable. I think it’s something that you try to overemphasize. And usually, when we overemphasize things, you fix it. I think something throughout the week is just trying to do the extra little things to protect it, and me getting you in the pocket, ensuring two hands on it, and just knowing the play is over.”
On when he looks at this team, whether it’s a practice or during the games, if he thinks about how much better this team can be or maybe even should be:
“I wouldn’t say that. I just … trying to push the guys to get to that level. I know what we can do, and I still feel like we haven’t played our best football, and that’s what’s promising ahead. And I think once we do, we kind of talk about stringing some players together in a practice or stringing a drive together. You see glimpses of it, but that’s the challenging part of this league, and that’s what’s the fun part about it, of getting to that level and hoping to get that level when the games matter, and trying to get a push to the postseason or things like that. So that’s what we’re trying to build towards, and just keep going at it every week.
On when he dives into an opponent’s film when he’s doing it on his own, what’s the difference in year two for him, as opposed to last year:
“Yeah, I think first off, it’s just knowing the defensive coordinator in the background. You know more names now and know what tree he’s from and know things like that. From there, just trying to watch players more. Players know that coverage matters, but players and personnel matters just as much and knowing the guys up front you need to worry about or the run game and things like that, or the guys, ‘Hey, playing this coverage, this is what he likes to do,’ or ‘He’s really aggressive when he gets backside and he’s in man,’ things like that. Just trying to study players just as much as every week, trying to play a quarterback, you’re trying to see what they’re in before they show it.”
On what he thinks of their corner, specifically, Jaycee Horn:
“They’re great players. Jaycee Horn, he played at a Carolina school. So known him, grew up and he’s a little older than me, but obviously a great player. He’s made some plays this year, and he’s one of those guys backside that is going to play in the boundary and make it tough. He’s physical, he can play, he’s patient, he’s got good ball skills. So he’s one of those guys that he’s going to make it tough. And I think it’s something that you can’t eliminate that part of the field, but you got to be careful with him. And on the other side, #2 is a good player as well.”
On the fact we’ve seen Stefon [Diggs] get three catches on Sunday, resulting in first downs and that he’s talked about what a great teammate he is, and where his level of trust is with him, especially situationally on the field:
“We try to put him in circumstances where he’s getting the ball and an option to get the ball on big plays. He had a big third-down catch. The first third down we had, I probably should have thrown it to him. Little things like that. We had a fourth down against Miami. He’s making plays, so he’s in positions on key downs to make plays. I got full trust in him, and he just keeps showing it every week, and I need to try to get him the ball more. I told him that today.”
On when he talks about knowing when the play is over, if it’s just strictly a field thing:
“We talk about in the quarterback room. You know kind of when something doesn’t feel right, whether in the pocket or with this play, all right, something I need to do, whether it’s throw it away or get what I can to get down. That kind of stop clock in your head and that shot clock, you just know, ‘Hey, something doesn’t feel right.’ All right, now, some quarterbacks split their feet. I think sometimes you just feel like, ‘Okay, got to do something.’ So just knowing that.”
On when it comes to the Panthers, what is his favorite all-time memory?
“Favorite all-time memory? That’s a good question. I went to the Super Bowl when they lost to Payton Manning, and man, that was tough. But yeah, just that season. I think it was 15-1. I was at that NFC Championship game at home, big-time win. Just being a fan of Cam [Newton], I think, was probably the biggest memory. Him coming out here and doing the airplane and hitting the Cam, so just little things like that. Getting to know him later on and playing him. He coaches 7 on 7 team and playing him and playing against him and seeing stuff like that. Just getting to know some of the players around has been pretty cool.”
On if he feels like he’s getting more comfortable and if he’s getting more comfortable just speaking up during team planning meetings with Coach McDaniels and Vrabel:
“Yeah, I think they’re both great at doing stuff that I’m comfortable with. I think it just continues to go more and more as we establish kind of what we are as an offense. I think just finding ways throughout the week where I can, ‘Hey, mark this in the call sheet.’ ‘Hey, I may like this out of this formation,’ or ‘I may like this in the gun instead of under center. Just little things like that to just help me play more comfortable at the end of the day. Coach McDaniels and Vrabel are all about that, and I just continue to communicate, and that’s all we’re going to build throughout the year.”
On him talking about the differences between last year and this season, looking at defensive studying tape, if his understanding of the defensive coordinator is any different? Meaning, does he know his background, why he calls certain things, and if that’s the level that he’s getting to:
“Yeah, I think it’s early. I try to keep the notebooks from last year. I’m a pen and paper guy, so I try to keep a stash of them. Jacoby [Brissett] was big on, he kind of let me know that at a young age, keeping an idea of, ‘Hey, this is his tree,’ or, ‘Hey, this is what he likes to do,’ or, ‘He’s been here. Go back and watch some games there.’ Just little things like that. Just trying to soak up as much as I can from other players, other coaches who have ideas. Coach McDaniels has got a game plan notebook from years ago. It’s pretty cool to look back, and it’s always a little different because they evolve and stuff like that. So just be ready for that.”
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This transcript was done based on the available footage and is subject to typographical errors. If you spot anything, please let me know in the comments below.)
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