Karen Guregian: Why Drake Maye's expected Year 2 leap isn't a given

Yahoo

11-07-2025

In some circles, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye is the team's top candidate to have a breakout season in 2025.
With Josh McDaniels at his side, a slightly better cast of weapons, and the hope of having a competent offensive line, there's ample reason to believe Maye will make the desired Year 2 leap.
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And yet, there's still some trepidation about the North Carolina product and how he will fare heading into his pivotal second season.
Without question, the talent is there. Maye showcased a dazzling set of skills last season after taking over as the starter for Jacoby Brissett Week 6.
But he was also mistake-prone, a trait that followed him from college.
He threw 15 touchdown passes, with 10 interceptions. He also fumbled nine times.
And therein lies one of the biggest reasons for pause.
Maye has to be able to break the habit, not force plays, and protect the football better.
Getting over the turnover hurdle is certainly doable, it's just not a given.
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Former Patriot great and current WEEI host Ted Johnson also sees the enormous talent, but agreed Maye has to conquer that demon before making the leap.
'If you look at all the interceptions, and only one win last year, I understand the trepidation,' Johnson said. 'I think he's a special player. I think he has special traits. But I do wonder if he has the mental aptitude, or the mental skill set to match what his natural talents are.'
Turnovers aren't the only issue.
Maye also needs to do a better job hitting intermediate passes and deep balls, where he ranked bottom-10 in that category according to Pro Football Focus.
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Those are the big-time throws, the ones that make or break quarterbacks - and teams.
During OTAs and minicamp, Maye was spot-on with those deliveries in some practices, not so much in others. We'll see what training camp brings.
Outside of that, Johnson mentioned one more category on Maye's bucket list to hit the next level: leadership.
It will be interesting to see how Maye handles being in complete charge at the outset, unlike last season where he deferred to veteran Brissett.
Johnson said he took interest in how Maye went about the offseason, trying to get a read on those intangible qualities. He was hoping to see examples of his growth as a leader to satisfy that part of the job.
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'Whether it comes from leadership, whether it comes from a clutch gene, whether it comes from just being the man, the face of the franchise, I was kind of hoping I'd hear some stories this offseason that he was bringing guys together, that he was throwing with guys,' Johnson said. 'That sounds kind of corny, and maybe forced, but the quarterback has to be the CEO. He has to take ownership of the football team. And I don't know if he's fully accepted that part of the job.
'It makes me hesitate to think that he might be the guy, ultimately because of those things. But his talent is undeniable. His skills are undeniable.'
The biggest offseason news surrounding Maye wasn't about organizing throwing sessions with receivers, it was his proposal to long-time girlfriend Ann Michael Hudson in January and marriage to her last weekend.
But that doesn't necessarily mean football took a back seat in between.
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Beyond his newlywed status, most of Maye's time has been spent trying to learn a new offense, and getting in tune with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
His progress and comfort level with the system was notable with every passing week.
Training camp, and the joint practices in particular, will provide a better read on how he's faring with the offense, along with his new weapons (Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams, Mack Hollins, TreVeyon Henderson).
Diggs will also have a major say in Maye's growth, or lack of such in Year 2.
Even coming off ACL surgery, Diggs provides Maye the closest thing to a No. 1 receiver in his arsenal. At age 31, he's not likely to be vintage Diggs, but a reasonable facsimile would go a long way.
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It's remarkable how good Diggs looked during the early camps, but once again, there are no guarantees.
Ditto the offensive line.
There's a lot riding on rookie Will Campbell being able to handle left tackle, protecting Maye's blind side. But that stands as another unknown.
Having an improved defense that's stingy surrendering points should take some of the pressure off the young quarterback, who was constantly having to come-from-behind last season.
Ultimately, it all comes back to Maye dealing with his own issues first whether it's mastering McDaniels' system, eliminating turnovers, or taking charge.
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It's up to Maye to remove any doubts surrounding him.
'You need him to be the alpha. He doesn't have an alpha presence,' Johnson said. 'That's what you need to have in this league to survive.'
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Read the original article on MassLive.