Patriots share the exact moment they knew Drake Maye was special

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Patriots share the exact moment they knew Drake Maye was special

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Sat, Feb 7, 2026 ·

10 min read

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SANTA CLARA, Calif. – For Mike Vrabel , the decision was a no-brainer.

After getting fired from the Tennessee Titans in 2023, he wanted to lead another NFL team. Going back to the Patriots was an obvious fit, but for Vrabel, it was more than memories that made New England an attractive job.

During his six seasons in Tennessee, Vrabel had three different quarterbacks lead the team in passing – Ryan Tannehill , Marcus Mariota , and Will Levis . Although Tannehill had a nice resurgence with the Titans, the veteran wasn't able to stay healthy in his final two years with Vrabel.

That led to the Titans going 6-11 in Vrabel's final season.

That's why when he had the chance to come back to the Patriots , one of Vrabel's big factors wasn't his past, but the future. A big reason was Drake Maye .

Vrabel realized the young quarterback was special before coaching him.

"I probably realized that before I got here," Vrabel said. "That's a large part of the reason that I wanted to be here."

When Robert Kraft hired Vrabel, he paired a hard-working, experienced head coach with one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL. That dynamic is a major reason why the Patriots are about to play in Super Bowl 60 against the Seattle Seahawks .

During Vrabel's first offseason in Foxborough, Maye more than met his expectations.

"There were plays in training camp and things that he did," Vrabel said. "The thing was the accuracy outside of the pocket or on the move.

"Everybody has a different skill set, and he's comfortable in the pocket. His ability to transfer up into the pocket to make moves, to make throws off platform and different angles, has been impressive."

Maye will soon be on the biggest stage at Super Bowl 60. His rise might surprise some, but not many in Foxborough. Everyone on the Patriots – players or coaches – have their own story about the quarterback.

Drake Maye is special. For most in New England, it didn't take long to realize it.

Here are their stories:

FOXBOROUGH, MA - JULY 28: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots throws during training camp at Gillette Stadium on July 28, 2025 in Foxborough, Massachusetts.(Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)Getty Images

They saw it in practice

When practices opened to the media for the first time last spring, Maye didn't look great.

In that first session, he threw four interceptions. In the second, Maye was inconsistent, completing 53% of his passes. These practices marked the first time he was operating in a new offensive system and facing Vrabel's defense.

The struggles were not a sign of things to come. Instead, defensive coaches noted that the things they were able to do to mix Maye up didn't work in training camp. The growth he showed previewed what was to come this season.

"I think maybe the second day of OTAs, we were able to do some things, trick him up a little bit and get a couple takeaways," safeties coach Scott Booker said. "But by the last OTA and in camp, he kept on getting better. We weren't able to do some things that we disguised and did early on that he now saw through."

As the summer went on, Maye showed a level of comfort in the new offensive scheme. He also impressed coaches by arriving early and staying late. Add that work ethic with elite athleticism and a big arm, and many coaches were sold.

"We were probably halfway through training camp, and I was like, 'This kid is going to be legit,'" Patriots outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said. "You saw the mobility. You saw the arm strength. You saw the late hours he was putting in. Even in training camp, halfway through, guys get tired. Some guys start tapering off. He was still up there late. You knew it meant something to him."

For others, it was the first time the quarterback stepped on the field. Christian Gonzalez said he knew Maye would be great quickly.

"First time he got up there in OTAs, he made a couple throws where we were like, 'OK, this kid is pretty good,'" Gonzalez said. "He just continues to grow. He cares so much."

It hit Stefon Diggs in training camp.

A play didn't work out how the coaches wanted, but it showcased one of Maye's traits. He escaped the pocket, ran to his right and threw off-balance. Diggs was on the field as the ball sailed over 60 yards to DeMario Douglas in practice.

"He was scrambling and threw it like 70 or 60 yards," Diggs said. "I was like, 'This kid can play.'… I knew he was going to be halfway decent. I didn't know he was going to be this good."

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) rushes as Tennessee Titans linebacker Dre'Mont Jones (45) defends during a NFL football game Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)AP

They saw it in the game

For the players who were with Maye last season, there were two moments where they knew big things were coming.

It all started inside Gillette Stadium when an underwhelming Patriots team took on the Houston Texans , one of the best defenses in the NFL. This marked Maye's first-career NFL start, and many didn't know how it was going to go.

Then Maye stepped on the field and showcased special abilities in this 41-21 loss.

"Obviously, they were a really good team at that time. Things weren't really going our way in that game," tight end Hunter Henry said. "We weren't a great team, but I just saw some things. Extending plays, big-time throws. We lost the game, you saw some things like, 'OK, this kid is probably got something.'"

Maye threw a 40-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte in the first half that left teammates in awe. In the fourth quarter, he did it again, on a 35-yard touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas.

"His first game coming in was Houston, and that's when I got my first touchdown," Douglas said. "I already knew it. Something was going to be great. He just needed that time and the right leadership."

Another defining moment for Maye's rookie season came in Tennessee.

With four seconds on the clock, Maye dropped back in the pocket and made magic happen. He scrambled for 11.82 seconds before being hit, and while he was falling, he threw a game-tying touchdown to Rhamondre Stevenson .

"I saw the way he was playing. How poised he was, how confident he was when he got his opportunity," safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. "The special things he could do. He made some amazing throws that game. That last-minute play in the fourth quarter, just scrambling around, threw it to Rhamondre. That's when I knew he was special."

It hit Josh Dobbs when he was standing on the sideline in Buffalo in Week 5.

The Patriots were underdogs against the reigning AFC East champions. The night didn't start well for Maye, who went into halftime with 89 passing yards and too many stalled drives. He then came out in the second half and showed the world he was one of the best in the game.

Maye completed 13 of 14 passes for 184 yards in the second half to lead the Patriots to a fourth-quarter comeback over Josh Allen and the Bills.

"On the road at Buffalo," Dobbs said. "That's an intense environment, battling the first half. Coming out having a flawless second half on the road in a tough environment. And then the 2-minute drive to win the game. That was the first time as a team in that environment, and he rose to the occasion. And since then, he's risen to every single one after that."

Foxborough, MA - June 2: New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye works out as quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant looks on during an OTA offseason workout at Gillette Stadium on June 2, 2025. (Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)Boston Globe via Getty Images

They saw it in the QB room

Josh McDaniels' offensive system is known for its complexity. Quarterbacks with high IQs thrive while others can't hack it.

In this offense, players need to know how to adjust each play based on the defensive scheme in front of them. Tom Brady was a master in this system.

McDaniels was amazed at how fast Maye picked it up.

"You could tell in April when we started our process with just the questions you got back that this guy was a high-level guy," McDaniels said. "Pretty remarkable questions from a young player. Every step of the way has been a treat for Ashton (Grant) and I as we taught that quarterback room. Drake's a great learner. He's a great listener, and he's an incredible question asker."

When McDaniels first met with Maye last spring, he started with the basics. He teaches his system in different steps – or layers, as he calls them.

What he noticed with Maye was that the quarterback processed things so quickly, he'd want to jump ahead and go from Chapter 1 to Chapter 4. That's when McDaniels realized that not only did he have rare athletic traits, but mentally, he could keep up.

"If you're putting in something, there's layers to everything you do," McDaniels said. "Sometimes he would skip two or three layers because he already figured them out. And then asks you something that's at the fourth floor, and you're like, 'Holy cow! We haven't even talked about steps two and three, but you're already there.' He's a remarkable young guy."

McDaniels likes his players to visualize plays on a whiteboard. For Grant, the Patriots quarterback coach, this is when he realized that Maye was the real deal.

During these offseason sessions, Maye discussed play designs he liked while McDaniels shared ideas from his playbook. That's when the quarterback picked up a marker and drew the concepts on the whiteboard.

"Just the comfortability of a 22-year-old kid at the time to get on the board and draw concepts that he liked," Grant said. "He could visualize some of the things that Josh was talking about. I knew super early that he had the potential to be a difference maker."

At 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Maye is a rare physical combination. He has a cannon of an arm with eye-opening accuracy on his deep passes. For such a large man, he's also quick on his feet, and his ability to escape the pocket makes him a nightmare for opposing defenses.

As McDaniels and Grant saw, Maye's brain power adds to this young quarterback's traits.

"I think that's the difference with a lot of guys. I think my IQ's pretty good, but I can't do 20% of what Drake Maye can do," Grant said. "I think that's the blend of really good quarterbacks being able to take the meeting room to the field, but actually go out there and execute it.

"He made a comment to me at practice (this week) about the weather. And it just made me laugh. He was like, 'Ashton, I can put the ball wherever I want to in this weather.'

"Having that physical ability must be pretty sweet."

The Patriots hope it leads them to another Super Bowl championship.

They saw it in practice

They saw it in the game

They saw it in the QB room

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