New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye just came off an MVP-caliber season in his second NFL campaign (and first full one if you factor in the time he spent backing up Jacoby Brissett as a rookie), led his team to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2019, and put the rest of the league on notice.
A lot has been said about Maye and the Patriots benefiting from an easy schedule last season (which, admittedly, is mostly fair and is probably the biggest reason they were able to win the AFC East and make it to the Super Bowl), but there's no denying that he has star potential. And the fact that he already looks this good at just 23 years old should terrify the rest of the league.
Patriots QB Drake Maye is a star in the making
Last season, the UNC alum threw for 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, 4,394 yards, and led the league with a 72% completion. Additionally, he ran for an additional 450 yards and four touchdowns, and he finished second in MVP voting.
Maye is far from a perfect quarterback (he still holds on to the ball for way too long, which can often lead to turnovers and sacks, and he still struggles under pressure), but the talent is clearly there, and most of his flaws are fixable. He is already an elite deep ball thrower (his 2,648 completed air yards ranked second, only behind Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, according to Pro Football Reference), can make plays with his legs, and knows how to use his athleticism and physicality to his advantage.
The North Carolina native already showed a ton of improvements between his first and second year in the NFL (though a lot of that has to do with him finally having a real coaching staff and offensive personnel), and the sky is the limit for what he can become.
The Patriots have their guy in Drake Maye
Even when they drafted Mac Jones in the first round in 2021, there were doubts about whether he was truly the Patriots' quarterback of the future.
He had a solid rookie season (3,801 yards, 22:13 TD: INT ratio, 10-7 record), but there were concerns about his arm strength, decision-making under pressure, and ability to extend plays or elevate his teammates. And the longer he spent in New England, the more his flaws were highlighted.
The Patriots don't have that concern with Maye. It's clear that he has the talent to truly be a franchise quarterback at a high level, and the team should be excited about where he can go from here.
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