The New England Patriots selected Drake Maye with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft to be their next franchise quarterback, and so far, the University of North Carolina product has made tremendous strides in his development.
Maye has played in six games (five starts) as a rookie. He has completed 64.7 percent of his pass attempts for 954 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions, in addition to 233 rushing yards (9.3 per carry) and one more touchdown. Maye helped lead the Patriots to a 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears in Sunday's Week 10 game at Soldier Field.
The young quarterback learned a lot in college from legendary head coach Mack Brown. In fact, Brown was one of the reasons why Maye committed to the Tar Heels.
Maye sees some similarities between Brown and Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo.
“The biggest thing you look for as a player, is a player’s coach,” Maye said Monday on WEEI's Afternoon Show. “I think they both check off that box.”
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Maye also appreciates Mayo's experience as both a player and someone who understands what it means to be a Patriot.
“He’s done it. He’s lived it. He’s lived through the Patriots experience,” Maye said of Mayo. “He knows what its like to do the early morning lifts, and come back and run the hills after practice. I think that’s the biggest thing you respect. He’s done it, won Super Bowls, and done it here in this same building.
“Now these players, who have played with him at times, now to bring back a lot of the coaches he played with is a cool experience. You can respect something like that, and kind of grow a lot from that.”
QB Maye on HC Mayo: "He's done it, he's lived it..."
— WEEI Afternoon Show (@WEEIAfternoons) November 11, 2024
What is Drake Maye's relationship REALLY like with Jerod Mayo? pic.twitter.com/MsHlr1ygSO
It's been a tough season for the Patriots. They've won just three of their first 10 games. But they haven't quit. The effort level has been good, and Sunday's impressive victory over the Bears was the latest example. Mayo deserves a lot of credit for that. Maye has played his part, too. There's no question that his insertion into the starting lineup has given the offense more juice.
The Patriots have the third-toughest remaining schedule, per Tankathon. Wins could be hard to come by over the final eight weeks of the regular season. But there's still a lot at stake for the Patriots in the second half of the campaign. They need to ensure Maye continues to develop in a positive manner and also try to lay the foundation for a winning culture.
Maye and the Patriots will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they host the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET.
