The way last season ended was a huge disappointment for the New England Patriots. They were destroyed by the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX (the final score was 29-13, yet it felt like an even bigger blowout than that), and it was a loss so bad that it's fair to wonder how it might shake the confidence of their young stars (Drake Maye, Will Campbell, and Jared Wilson all looked horrendous in the game).
On top of that, many are expecting this upcoming season to be a big step back for New England, largely because it will face a much more difficult schedule.
Regardless, the future is bright for the Patriots, and that largely has to do with Maye. He already made his presence felt last season, but he's turning just 24 years old in August, and it's fair to say that his best is yet to come.
Drake Maye is going to be a long-term star for the Patriots
Did Maye benefit from playing an easy schedule last season? Of course he did. But there's no denying the talent, largely his ability to throw deep balls and take the top off the defense with incredible accuracy and using his physcality to his advantage (you're telling me the schedule did this?)
In just his second season (and it was really his first full campaign, since he started just 12 games during his rookie season and had Jerod Mayo as his head coach), the UNC alum threw for 31 touchdowns to eight interceptions, 4,394 yards, and had a league-leading 72% completion. He also ran for 450 yards and four touchdowns and finished second in MVP voting.
Easy schedule or not, Maye is incredibly talented, and he's New England's quarterback of the future. And as long as he is under center, the team is always going to be in a good spot to compete.
New England has done a solid job of surrounding him with talent
If there was one lesson New England learned during the Mac Jones Era, it's that it is absolutely crucial for the team to surround its young quarterback with as much talent, security, and just general help as possible. They didn't do this for Jones (who, to be fair, likely wasn't talented enough to be the guy for the long run anyway), and it backfired greatly.
Fortunately, it seems like they're doing things differently with Maye. Last season, they hired head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels last season, took a flier on Stefon Diggs, and drafted Campbell and Wilson to protect the North Carolina native's blind spot. This year, they signed Romeo Doubs, drafted Caleb Lomu and Eli Raridon, and are maybe (probably?) trading for A.J. Brown.
The Patriots are putting Maye in a good spot to succeed. And as long as he has what he needs, he should be able to keep producing and make his presence felt every week.
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