The ending of the 2025 season might not have been the best for the Patriots, but the fact they had a second-year quarterback jump to an MVP level, a defense that ascended from bottom of the pack to top-10 in the league, and an offense that overcame the best defenses in the league to head to the Super Bowl was beyond impressive and brought back optimism for the future.
There's particular excitement around Drake Maye, who was runner-up to Matthew Stafford for the MVP Award, has become a household name in record time, and what he can accomplish as the franchise star.
He proved beyond a doubt that he is the future of the offense, and now that he has Josh McDaniels by his side, the levels he can reach feel endless. Concerns did arise, however, from his weakened postseason performance, and because of that, it was inevitable we'd hear about what he needs to work on this offseason.
While that's expected every offseason for any quarterback, there is even more urgency for a player like Maye, considering how successful he has been so early in his career. And now the expectations have been set, with Mike Vrabel chiming in as to what he wants the quarterback to work on ahead of 2026.
Mike Vrabel wants to see a big jump from Drake Maye in one specific way that could determine his future success
While speaking to reporters at the Annual League Meeting, Vrabel was asked what he feels Maye needs to improve on to be even better in Year 3.
He made it very clear what he wants to see from the 23-year-old, which mostly surrounds controlling the game, and now Maye has a challenge to take on going into this upcoming season.
“I think his ability to control the game at the line of scrimmage, whether that’s operationally (or) getting us into a better play. Continue to take ownership of the offense. I mean, he’s an extension of Josh (McDaniels), and Josh sends the play in.
I want Drake to own it, to own the play and bring it to life with cadence and communication, all the motions and all the things that orchestrate (the offense).”
This is a trait that typically takes time for any young quarterback, so it's not exactly breaking news that Maye hasn't yet achieved this level of ownership of the offense just yet.
It will almost certainly become more natural going into Year 3 for a few reasons, one being his maturity and comfort level in the NFL, and the other being McDaniels' remaining with the team rather than being given a third offensive coordinator to work with in three years.
That relationship with McDaniels will be key to determining how Maye performs during his NFL career, and based on what we've seen and heard so far, there shouldn't be any concerns about the quarterback reaching new heights.
From have the privlage of watching Tom Brady tape and working on new plays that McDaniels hasn't been known for to feeling more comfortable making changes at the line of scrimmage, Maye took on a lot in Year 2 and while the expectations are high for the 2026 season, he's already shown plenty of growth to believe he can handle what Vrabel is challenging him to do this season.