Robert Kraft Reveals Drake Maye’s Rookie Year Gesture That Left a Lasting Impression on Him

Drake Maye has become a likable figure around the NFL this year, both because of his on-field performances and his off-field demeanor. For example, he’s in the running for the MVP award while also appearing as a recurring special guest on his wife’s viral TikTok cooking page. But he does many other things off the field that often go unnoticed as well.

Most notably, the New England Patriots’ owner, Robert Kraft, has taken note of Maye’s humility ever since he arrived with the team. He spoke about it in a recent interview, praising the young QB for his team-first approach.

In his rookie season, Maye didn’t start all 17 games or play every contest for all four quarters. Still, Kraft revealed that Maye would make time to visit his linemen in the locker room and hype them up and boost their confidence.

“He has a humility that’s genuine. It’s putting family first, putting team first,” Kraft said on The Quick Snap podcast, adding,

“Something about him that I really liked in his rookie year. We had so many tough games, and he only played two-thirds of the games. But after every game, he would go around the locker room to the linemen and try to boost them up, and it was genuine.”

That’s the type of small thing that may go unnoticed by the media. But to coaches and owners, seeing players do the little things when nobody is looking can make them fall in love with a player.

Robert Kraft on #Patriots QB Drake Maye:

“He has a humility that’s genuine… something about him that I really liked in his rookie year… After every game he would go around the locker room to the linemen to try to boost them up, and it was genuine.”

( @quicksnappod) pic.twitter.com/ftrluoxu9R

— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) January 14, 2026

This season, the Pats’ offensive line has done an excellent job, seemingly repaying Maye for the faith he showed. They’ve given him enough protection to put up MVP-level numbers, even though he was still sacked 47 times, the fourth-highest total in the league.

Still, Maye leads the NFL in completion percentage, ranks fourth in passing yards, and sits third in passing touchdowns. He’s had an incredible year, and Kraft could not be happier with the player he ended up with. He believes the Patriots are fortunate to have found a quarterback of that caliber.

All in all, it’s a great story that paints Maye as an even more lovable figure. It’s remarkable how much he has shown fans in just his first two years in the league. He has evolved quickly into the player he is today. Last season, he finished with just 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight starts. This year, he has doubled that touchdown total while throwing fewer interceptions across more games played. Truly remarkable stuff.