Although he wasn't given the official start under center until Week 6 of his rookie season last year, the expectations for Drake Maye going into 2025 were sky high for good reason. He impressed beyond expectations through a difficult situation, from an inexperienced head coach and staff to a less-than-desirable offensive roster around him.
So the decision by Robert Kraft to hire Mike Vrabel as Mayo's successor and Josh McDaniels as the offensive coordinator seemed like the best upgrade for a young quarterback going into a very telling year. And it has been so far, so good for him, as Maye is now among the most discussed names for MVP heading into Week 7.
His performance against the Bills, sneaking out a win on the road against the last remaining undefeated team, appears to have put him on the league's radar, so much so that he continues to be the focus of several television shows and podcasts.
Unsurprisingly, former Patriots Brian Hoyer and David Andrews can't stop raving about Maye, with Hoyer's latest take sounding like it came straight from a fan's mouth.
Brian Hoyer's latest take on Drake Maye is exactly how Patriots fans are feeling about their franchise quarterback
While discussing the 2025 season so far in New England, Hoyer couldn't help but make a bold declaration about Maye's development that some might feel is too strong for so early in his career. But based on how he's fared so far this season, it doesn't feel like too much of a stretch.
"The one thing that I've seen in, let's call it 365 days, he has made three years' worth of progressions, in my opinion. From where he was when he took his first start just a year ago today to where he is now."
That is certainly a bold statement, but is he wrong?
It's possible we would have seen this kind of progression from Maye even if Alex Van Pelt remained the offensive coordinator, or maybe even if Jerod Mayo was still the head coach. We won't ever know. However, given Vrabel's experience as a head coach and McDaniels' pedigree as an offensive play caller, it's hard not to see the connection between their coaching and Maye's rise.
He seems much more comfortable in the pocket, and his understanding of opposing defenses presnap has been one of the most noticeable improvements in his performance this year. These are things clearly learned from working with people as qualified as the new coaching staff, and it's already paying off.
Maye has been beyond impressive, helping lead the Patriots to a 4-2 record. After the Bills' loss in primetime (again) this week, they are now the number one team in the division. The playoffs are now part of the conversation, and Maye is a big reason for that.
The Patriots are well on their way to being officially back, and they have an excellent leader and future under center to lead them to that.