Expectations in New England have been through the roof for the majority of the last 25 years, and that has continued even in the post-Tom Brady and Bill Belichick years. Although those seasons haven't been too kind to the Patriots, the fans and the media haven't lowered their standards for what football should be in Foxboro, which only heightened once Mike Vrabel was hired this offseason.
Another disappointing year in 2024 under Jerod Mayo inevitably put a lot of pressure on Vrabel's shoulders, and that has also shifted to Drake Maye. His impressive rookie season, which officially began in Week 6, set him up to be on track for a major second-year jump, which we haven't seen from him just yet.
A significant reason for this is the team's failures in the first three games, which resulted in a 1-2 record primarily due to a collapse against very beatable teams. Despite that, Maye's performance has gone under the radar, as he has been more productive than most would assume, but it's not something the young quarterback is thinking about going into a must-win game against the Panthers.
It's the exact kind of attitude that fans might say is reminiscent of Tom Brady.
Drake Maye's maturity and team-first attitude will have Patriots fans excited
Because some of his stats land him in the top-10 or higher among quarterbacks this season, it was inevitable that Maye was going to be asked how he felt about that during a very telling second season with the Patriots.
Maye's response sounded too much like what you'd expect from Brady, as he emphasized that his individual achievements mean nothing and that winning is most important.
Drake Maye is fifth in the NFL in passing yards and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns.
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) September 24, 2025
Does that matter?
“Winning matters to me.” pic.twitter.com/dQq1qM7QNa
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Considering the concerns about attitudes from young players in today's NFL, especially highly regarded first-round talents like quarterbacks, Maye's mindset is vastly different from what many would expect from a player of his caliber, even though he hasn't yet achieved the most success.
He very easily could brag about how well he is doing on an individual basis, and to an extent, it would make sense. However, his attitude about wanting the team to be successful rather than just himself is going to be crucial to what Mike Vrabel is trying to accomplish with the team, and shows just how unselfish Maye will be as he continues to grow in his career.
On top of that, he's a leader on the team, and this mindset will only trickle down to the rest of the locker room; his players will adopt the same feeling about themselves as well.
Given the numerous changes the Patriots have undergone over the last few years and the potential for some selfish players to become a problem behind the scenes, it's good to hear that a player in Maye's position is sharing this kind of intellect with his teammates.
It's that philosophy that helped make the Patriots a successful franchise during the Brady-Belichick era, and could be the foundation for what they become over the next five years with Maye under center.