Some great quarterbacks never get to play in a Super Bowl or finish top three in MVP voting. Drake Maye did all of that in his second season in the league and his first full season as the New England Patriots' starter.
While that would've probably made him the league's darling if he played elsewhere, the Patriots will always be the team everyone loves to hate. As such, he's been slammed with 'overrated,'one-year wonder,' and 'schedule' narratives left and right this offseason.
Little do the haters know that the UNC product is looking even better in his second year under Mike Vrabel's guidance. According to The Athletic's Chad Graff, Maye has made some strides after the heartbreaking loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Drake Maye is ready to lead the Patriots the distance again
"This may seem like a small thing, but Maye looks even more comfortable than last season — and he has been able to do more. More command over the offense. More familiarity in the scheme. More on his plate. That should lead to another great season," Graff affirmed.
A lot has been said of the 2025 Patriots, as if facing lesser competition would somewhat guarantee a trip to the biggest stage. If that were the case, all teams with an easy schedule should be Super Bowl locks, though that rarely happens.
If passing for nearly 4,400 yards and 31 touchdowns on a league-leading 72 percent completion rate would be so easy, how come only three quarterbacks had more yards, and two had more passing touchdowns than him?
Expectations will always be high for a top-three draft pick, and whoever plays quarterback for the Patriots will always have to deal with the ghost of Tom Brady. That's unfair, and measuring anybody to Brady's standards is unrealistic, but that's just the way it is.
Maye isn't fixated on that, though. He's not looking to be the next Tom Brady, but the best version of Drake Maye, and his relentless work ethic makes it clear they've finally found their guy. He hasn't been in the building for long, but he's already made it clear that he's worth building around.
While other young quarterbacks struggle to add layers to their game and the league catches up to them quickly, Maye is far from satisfied. Yes, he's already accomplished much more than the average NFL quarterback, but just like the great Scottie Pippen once said, 'It don't mean a thing without a ring.'
The Patriots can only beat whoever is in front of them, and Maye shouldn't be to blame for the schedule. However, he can control the effort and determination he puts into every drill and every practice, and he knows his biggest competitor won't be any other team, living up to the hype, or even Brady's shadow; it's himself.
Maye entered the league as a promising but raw prospect who some thought might need a couple of years to be NFL-ready. He's already proved those doubters wrong, and since some seem to forget that last year's version will probably be the worst he'll ever be, those who still think he was a flukey MVP candidate might be in for a tough awakening.
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