Since the moment the Patriots announced they were selecting quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, expectations for what he could be for the six-time Super Bowl Champions were mixed.
Because he had limited starting experience during his college career at UNC, many believed he was talented, but they weren't as sure about his NFL potential as those who were picked before him: Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels.
Once the season began and it was clear that Maye looked like he could blossom into a legitimate quarterback, which was only proven more and then some with his impressive and not-often-seen second-year leap in 2025, that meant expectations skyrocketed going into Year 3.
Taking his team to the Super Bowl at such a young age and now facing a first-place schedule with a team that is far from considered to be solid is going to be quite the feat for Maye, especially since most believe he is hovering around being a top-5 quarterback in the league, which means there's a lot of pressure on him to succeed at a high level this fall.
It's the kind of pressure not many players are fortunate (or not) to face, but it's not something that's on Maye's mind. Instead, he's more focused on the success of the team as a whole, like a true-blue New England Patriot.
Drake Maye sounds like a long-time Patriots veteran with his latest comments on the Patriots' 2026 season
Given his age and incredible rise at the position in such a short time, it wouldn't be all that shocking to hear Maye emphasize the importance of competing at a high level and wanting his stats to reflect that.
You hear that from plenty of other players no matter what professional sport you're looking at.
But the 24-year-old reiterated on Sunday that he is far more focused on what the team can accomplish together and on seeing their growth than on his own, and if that doesn't fully capture who he is and the foundation of the Patriots, it's hard to say what would be.
Drake Maye says he is focused on his team’s growth rather than his individual growth:
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) September 5, 2026
“I’m looking for our team to make a leap really instead of me.”
-@CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/K0oisntJAa
He's shown to be this kind of player and man before this latest example, but because he has become a household name over the past two years with plenty of analysts and observers already putting him alongside the top of the current group of starting quarterbacks, he could easily get a big head and never look back.
He hasn't shown any reason to believe he will become that during his career, and that couldn't be better news for the Patriots and the fans.
It's reminiscent of Tom Brady during his two decades in New England, as he always put the team first instead of his own accolades. He consistently said it wouldn't matter what kind of success he could achieve if the team didn't benefit from it, and that's exactly what helped him lead the Patriots to six Super Bowl Championships.
Based on what we've seen from Maye, that mindset will not only take him far, but the team as well, and that's just another reason to be excited about the future in Foxboro.
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