Drake Maye knows exactly what he’s walking into. In a city that has had Tom Brady define success for the last two decades, and for a franchise where quarterback leadership was once a given, the second-year signal caller is stepping into a massive void — and doing so with eyes wide open.
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Coming off a rookie season in which he was largely sheltered, Maye is now at the center of New England’s rebuild, both as a quarterback and a potential locker room captain. That sentiment was made clear by Head Coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels: 2025 is Drake Maye’s team to command.
And unsurprisingly, this storyline emerging from Boston hasn’t gone unnoticed in the media world.
On the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Tom Curran also noted how the Patriots are “foisting it on him [Maye]” this year. “You’re the leader, you’re in charge,” Curran said. “They’re showing him his expectations and telling everybody, not in as many words, but ‘look at him, he’s the guy in charge on the field.’”
Co-host of the show, Phil Perry, added further context, noting how Vrabel was very intentional in placing Maye in pre-snap command drills during practice.
“Vrabel’s also purposefully putting Maye in that situation where he has to be the voice for the rest of the team,” Perry said. “I think he’s trying to draw a little bit more out of him… being that voice that everybody listens to.”
Vrabel himself didn’t mince words when asked if Maye can grow into the role. “There’s a lot of room to grow… a lot of natural leadership qualities and I have to continue to encourage him,” the coach said.
Importantly, Vrabel emphasized a key NFL truth: “This is pro football. I don’t think everybody’s going to like you.”
And that might be the hardest adjustment for Maye. Known for his affable demeanor, the 22-year-old acknowledged the need to embrace accountability, both for himself and for others.
“Especially offensively, if somebody’s not doing their job — and it starts with me — but if somebody’s not doing their job and repeating mistakes, I think there’s got to be a consequence,” the UNC alum said.
Drawing from his upbringing with three older brothers, Maye further said that he’s grown comfortable stepping into those tougher conversations. “Once I got acclimated… I kind of stepped into that zone,” he explained.
That said, this responsibility isn’t just vocal. Maye needs to show it in practice, too, that he is the talisman of the group, that he is the guy his teammates can rely on. Luckily for the quarterback, he is being challenged daily on the field by a loaded defense featuring Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis to further this cause.
And the icing on the cake? He’s embracing it all. “I tell Gonzo every day, ‘I’m going to test them.’ I’m not going to not throw at him or CD. What an opportunity to go out there and throw against those guys,” he said.
And last, but not least, there is the Boston fanbase, who are not used to witnessing seasons with just three wins. So this season, the pressure of living up to New England’s expectations will be immense, which Maye seems to be ready for.
“You want high expectations. I think this city — the Patriots — are used to winning, and that’s what we’re trying to get back to,” Maye said.
At 22, with no guarantees and plenty to prove, Drake Maye is stepping into the spotlight. The Patriots are betting on him to lead not just under center, but inside the locker room.
Whether he succeeds remains to be seen, but one thing is clear — he’s not backing away from the challenge. And this courage, or rather his triumph over lofty expectations, is arguably the best indicator of why he is likely to be the leader of the next era in Boston’s football chapter. Because great leaders have always had one trait in common: the confidence to conquer the unknown.
