TRANSCRIPT: Drake Maye Press Conference 12/17
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Here’s what New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had to say during his press conference with reporters on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
On the fact defensive coordinator Terrell Williams is in the building:
“Yeah, Coach T. It’s awesome seeing him around. Anytime he’s around, it brings joy to us. It brings joy to the locker room. It brings joy to see his face, see how he’s doing, and just praying for him, and he’s continuing to fight. And what a story. It’s been something for us to rally around and somebody to care about. Another thing that’s just bigger than football Just props to him for, we’ve seen him in here a couple of times throughout the year. It’s been cool to see.”
On the fact Williams has worked with the defense, and is here when he can be, but do the two of them have any personal connections, and if he can talk about him with anything specific to their relationship?
“Yeah, I got to know his son well. He was around training camp a lot, so I know he’s a big hockey player. It’s been cool for Coach T just to, someone on the different side of the ball to be able to relate with in life. We kind of told our stories to get to know with each other early on in the year.
“He had a great story coming from his background, and I think he relates to the players well. Everybody that I’ve talked to from Detroit and Tennessee, everybody loves him. He’s easy to care about I think he’d be awesome to have around more, but obviously, he’s dealing with things that are, as I said, bigger than football, and just looking forward to having him back whenever that is. I think he just brings joy to the locker room.”
On the fact in the National Football game, teams aren’t going to win every game and what his general thoughts are on bouncing back facing adversity and how he goes about doing it:
“Yeah, obviously, it stings. It stings when you don’t come up on the winning side. But what I’ve try to learn in this league is it’s on to the next week. Next week is just as important as the last week and the week before that. It’s every week’s important and it matters. Just trying to play to my best ability and fix the things that I can fix, and make plays and try to fix plays that I wish I had back, and try to let it not happen again. But at the same time, I think there’s some good things we did from last game, but also just things we got to improve on to be better down the road and be better against the Ravens this week.”
“We have a tough challenge. They’re a good defense, and they’re a good football team with a great quarterback. So they’re a tough challenge. Just trying to learn every week and store things in my memory bank to use them again down the road.”
On the fact they were moved into primetime where more eyes will be on him, and if there’s an extra level of excitement to know that they wanted them in that spot, they wanted the Patriots to be playing in that moment:
“That’s what you play for. That’s what we’re trying to play for many years down the road, trying to be the team that people want to see at night and people want to see when the only game on is us. That’s what you want this environment to be. That’s what you want the New England Patriots to be, playing on night games that matter and home playoff games.
“And that’s what we’re building towards and working towards. And that’s one of the goals. So we’re going to keep trying to get there and do whatever we can to get there. It starts in practice out here today and tomorrow and each and every day. I think it’s one of the tough things at the end of the… The thing is week 16 is trying not to battle, not tailing off and taking shortcuts. Just try to keep going and do things a little more, study a little more, do a little bit more after practice, just to try to make up for the 16 weeks that you put on your body, and know that these weeks are the weeks that you played the last 14 games for.”
On if he expects to see some of the things that those were successful doing to you, mostly in the second half, other teams trying to copy that, and if he’s been working to work out whatever those issues were:
“I’m sure teams try to do whatever other defenses try to do to quote, unquote, stop us or felt like worked. So you try to not over look that and realize that these teams are going to be who they are. And I’ve practiced all year long, but you never know until you really get out there and snap the football and see. But obviously, we’re trying to work on things that we can control, control of details, and me making throws and better ball placement and better decisions. And that’s what we can control and let the rest sort itself out.”
On if he cares about the MVP conversation:
“The MVP is obviously one of the big accolades for this league, and it’s something that it’s an honor as a player to earn the award and I respect all the past MVPs, but I think at the end of the day, winning the Super Bowl is the biggest thing, and I think it’s what kind of makes this league go, is winning the big one, and that’s what you work towards, and that’s what this game is about. I love winning, and the personal accolades come with all that, but I’d rather win than win personal awards, and I hope people in that locker room, I know a lot of them feel the same way.”
On if he can give a scouting report on Amari Gainer:
“Yeah, I played with him my last year in college. He’s a great guy in the locker room. He’s good on the edge. He’s fast. He’s played inside a little bit. He’s played on the edge. He played inside at Florida State, if I remember, in college. And now he moved to the edge once he got to North Carolina. So I know he was with Vegas, and good to see him back. And I think everybody’s just trying to see… just to help us, whether it’s on game day or throughout practice or whatever we can do. I know he’s going to work hard, and I know he’s got good work ethic.”
On when the long ball opportunity potentially is there, if he ever has to fight against his own tendency to take a shorter, easier option?
“Yeah, that’s what I’ve been battling, probably since college. Since college, I was more down the field, and it’s not even trying to force that. It’s kind of the offense I was in. The backs weren’t getting out. They were more blocking in college. So I’m just trying to take the plays that the defense gives me and realize that moving the chains and being in second and four versus second and 10 is better. So just challenging that. But at the same time, you got to keep defense on its toes for not squatting on routes and let them know that we can hit one over their head.”
On when it comes to the designed runs in the red zone last week, just how did that come about and how does he feel about doing that a little bit more:
“Yeah, we tried them the previous week, they just haven’t worked as well as they did on Sunday. So it’s something that makes it even down there when it gets tight, it’s 11-on-11, and it’s something that you can get an extra hat versus me just handing it off and watching. So it’s something you can use, but also you have to be smart. These defenses are good, and now these guys are smart and know, and these coordinators. So just there’s a time for it, and there’s a time, I think, like I said, you can get extra hat and make it even.”
On as someone who expects a lot of himself to help his team, how does he balance the expectations he has versus the understanding that everyone, every player has limits?
“Yeah, limits… I think you expect a lot of myself. I think that’s the biggest thing. You expect to show up in big games. You expect to show up when your team needs you. And that’s what I hope everybody in that locker room feels. When pressure is on, you want to play within the system and play within the scheme and use your teammates around you. I’ve been trying to do as much as I can because those guys around me are great players. And realize that you don’t do it by yourself. And that’s a model in life. You don’t do things by yourself. You got people around you in your life that can help you and help you get to your goal and that think the same way and that want to win. And I think it’s when the pressure is on, and you don’t have to play outside and try to make a hero play, just make a winning play.”
On the Ravens, if they’re still a man-heavy team and for him and his team, when he’s seen man, especially lately, how he feels like they can handle it:
“Yeah, shoot. I mean I think me stating something that I know they’ll probably watch it and see if they’re a man or zone team or not. We know they’ll play man sometimes and play zone, so not trying to give out my answer of what I think they’ll do. But I think now they play some zone, and they get eyes on the quarterback really well. They got some guys on the outside that have played man, and guys on the inside, safety. They mix around. I know 14 is a great player. 44 has played a long time and played at a high level. I know played the other corner in college, Wiggins. So they got some great players out there and do a lot of different things and get the eyes on the quarterback, make plays on the football. I know when they do play man, we just got to win at the top of the route. I think our guys have done that and shown them that and make contested catches. Me, work on ball placement. If we do expect man, which I think we will, when you get down in the late of the season on third down in the red zone, you’re going to see teams are going to play man. You got to be able to handle that and win routes and be able to win versus man is this league. And that’s why those guys, those receivers, get paid and get paid to do that. So I got to work on ball placement for me and just trying to find the open guy.”
On the fact that on TreVeyon Henderson’s touchdown last Sunday, Next Gen Stats, had him at just under 21 mph, and if he’s ever hit that:
“Yeah, I don’t know if that’s true or not. I don’t know if I ever hit 20. But I just try to get down there. I’m always a little faster when somebody’s chasing me, or I’m trying to get out in front of somebody. So I think TreVeyon would have scored anyway. I don’t know if he really needed my block. So just felt like I could try to go and help in any way. And I was trying not to get in the way, which was probably close to 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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