Patriots Insider: Internal Buzz Has Team Excited By Maye’s Growth Heading Into 2026
Excitement Builds for Drake Maye's Continued Development as Patriots' Quarterback
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With four months to go until the 2026 Patriots regular season schedule kicks off, it sounds like there’s already some excitement within the building when it comes to Drake Maye.
In fact, by all accounts, the feeling seems to be the third-year quarterback could be poised for great things in 2026.
So far this offseason, one of the stories continuing to play out has been Maye’s growth in the offense, with Maye enjoying his second year under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Following the step forward he took last season in this new offense, the hope is that Maye’s comfort level will only continue to grow.
Maye’s first year with McDaniels certainly went well. He finished the season completing 354-of-492 (72%) for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, along with just 8 interceptions.
After throwing 15 interceptions and fumbling 9 times (6 lost) in 2024, the drop in turnovers was certainly a big storyline in 2025. Maye lost just 3 fumbles last season, along with having thrown two fewer interceptions over a longer stretch, having started the entire year.
That played a role in the dramatic turnaround the team saw during its march to the postseason. That was an area new head coach Mike Vrabel emphasized, and it was obvious that Maye took that to heart throughout the season.
Behind the scenes, Maye’s been working hard since players started working out over the offseason, and there’s apparently some buzz within the building. Greg Bedard of the Boston Sports Journal talked about it last week in a podcast with co-host Nick Cattles, and the team is excited about where their young quarterback is heading into year three.
“But yeah, and I will tell you, Nick, from talking to people around the team, there is a, I don’t even know if it’s that quiet, but they basically have the opinion, and they’re telling people this, which is, ‘Look out for the quarterback this year. Like, you thought he was good last year, wait till you see it now.'”
“And now look, it’s, it’s hard to tell. It’s hard to tell physically. Like, I look at the pictures, and I was like, oh, you know, Drake looks a little bit thicker, but that’s not it. From what I understand, it’s the mentality. It’s how much he knows the offense even more. It’s how he has the tools that are in this offense. And so, you know, along the lines of what you’re talking about, that’s a great indicator of what’s to come. But of course he’s gonna have to do it on the field.”
The biggest thing that was noticeable from Maye compared to year one was how much calmer and more poised he was, especially in key moments. Maye talked on more than one occasion about how well prepared he was under McDaniels, along with the fact that he was far more disciplined than in his rookie season when it came to recognizing and taking what the defense gave him.
The “you’ll never go broke taking a profit” mentality was evident throughout much of the year. Still, when the opportunity to attack downfield was there, those were plays that McDaniels wasn’t afraid to call. According to NextGenStats, Maye finished second among quarterbacks in terms of average completed air yards (7.4), and sixth in ‘Aggressiveness %.’ He also led the league in Completion Percentage Above Expectation by nearly double at 9.1, compared to Brock Purdy, who came in second at 5.1.
From what I understand, it’s the mentality. It’s how much he knows the offense even more. It’s how he has the tools that are in this offense.
Greg Bedard
Going for it on fourth down also wasn’t a concern. New England went for it 25 times in 2025, converting 18 of them. Maye had the ball in his hands for 14 of those, completing 12-of-14 (85.7%) for 119 yards along with three touchdowns and 11 of those completions moving the chains.
The biggest concern is going to be how things play out at receiver. The addition of Romeo Doubs and the A.J. Brown trade rumors appear to signal that this group will look quite different in 2026. One interesting note is the fact that if a Kayshon Boutte trade comes to fruition, it would send the New England Patriots into this season without the two wide receivers who led the club on third down in 2025.
Both Stephon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte were two leading wideouts who got their number called on third down last year. Diggs led the team overall in third-down receptions with 20 last season (14 first downs and a TD), while Boutte was 4th having been targeted 13 times with 8 receptions (7 first downs and a TD).
Hunter Henry was second with 16 catches on 26 targets (13 first downs), while Rhamondre Stevenson was third with 11 receptions on 12 targets (7 first downs).
Bedard also believes Boutte, who hasn’t been here this offseason, will not be part of the team’s future.
“Boutte has no future here, or you’re certainly not going to re-sign them for any amount of money,” said Bedard. “So it’s either you keep them for a year and get a comp pick of, I don’t know, probably a 5th round pick like a year down the road, or just try to get what you can now and move on.”
Meanwhile, Brown had some drops in the postseason in Philadelphia and it doesn’t sound like too many Eagles fans are lamenting his seemingly looming departure. Doubs was solid in Green Bay, but this will be an offense where he’ll certainly be asked to do quite a bit.
Still if Boutte is moved, the fact that the two receivers who were called on the most in key situations might be gone is definitely something to keep an eye on.
For now, at least the guy distributing the football is in place, and the outlook on Maye continues to be positive. With the club set to begin OTAs, it should be interesting to see how he looks with some of these new faces, with Maye hopefully continuing to build a solid foundation heading into 2026.
According to Greg Bedard, there's significant excitement within the team about Maye's growth, particularly his mentality and deeper understanding of the offense, beyond just physical changes.
Maye completed 354-of-492 passes (72%) for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions, also leading the league in Completion Percentage Above Expectation.
The biggest concern is potential turnover, with the addition of Romeo Doubs, A.J. Brown trade rumors, and the possible departure of Kayshon Boutte and parting with Stephon Diggs, who were key on third downs in 2025.
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