Former Patriots great shares concerns about Drake Maye ahead of second season

Both New England Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel spoke during the spring about how they'd like quarterback Drake Maye to improve as a team leader during his first NFL offseason as a full-time starter. 

Former Patriots linebacker and three-time Super Bowl champion Ted Johnson serves as a host on Boston sports radio station WEEI. During a recent chat with Karen Guregian of MassLive, Johnson shared concerns he has about Maye ahead of the 22-year-old's second pro campaign. 

"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 about Maye. "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." 

The previous Patriots regime wanted to start veteran Jacoby Brissett last season after the club grabbed Maye with the third overall pick of the 2024 draft. However, Maye replaced Brissett in the lineup after just five games, and the then-rookie tallied 17 total touchdowns (15 passing scores, two rushing TDs) over 13 contests. According to StatMuse, only three quarterbacks committed more turnovers than Maye (16) during the 2024 campaign. 

"I think he’s a special player," Johnson said about Maye after referencing the 10 interceptions the signal-caller tossed as a rookie. "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."

 

By all accounts, Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels are optimistic regarding where Maye will be in his overall development later this year. During the offseason, the Patriots added wide receiver Stefon Diggs, offensive tackle Morgan Moses, center Garrett Bradbury, rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell, rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson and first-year receiver Kyle Williams to their roster. Such moves suggest Vrabel and Co. expect Maye will be ready to win big games during the upcoming season. 

"You need him to be the alpha," Johnson added about Maye. "He doesn’t have an alpha presence. That’s what you need to have in this league to survive."

It could be interesting to see how Maye responds to such takes when veteran New England players report to training camp on July 22.