After an impressive rookie season in unfavorable circumstances, Drake Maye had an even better second year, putting him in the MVP conversation at just 23 years old as he led the Patriots to the Super Bowl. It was quite the jump in production that many believed was possible, but he succeeded to a new level that blew away most analysts and fans.
That puts a lot of pressure on him going into Year 3, and the organization will inevitably prioritize ensuring he can continue the path he's on in 2026 by surrounding him with the caliber of talent needed in all phases of the game.
But there are some things he needs to work on, one of which is something Mike Vrabel recently pointed out while speaking to reporters at the NFL Combine.
Mike Vrabel wants to see more from Drake Maye in Year 3
The Patriots head coach emphasized wanting to see more leadership from Maye next season, but also wants to see that translate into correcting his teammates, not just the coaches giving the feedback.
Becoming more vocal has been something Maye has discussed wanting to improve in the past, and now his head coach is publicly stating that he wants to see it, too.
“Just continue that development, taking an active role instead of me or Josh making corrections. I think that’s something Drake wants to be able to do, is correct himself, but also the players that are out there with him. It’s something that I think is — and that goes throughout the team, is to try to hold each other accountable.
That’s always when you kind of know that what you have is a good football team or one that has potential, is when they’re close enough and knowledgeable enough to hold each other accountable.”
Given Maye's age and inexperience in the NFL, Vrabel's challenge isn't that unexpected, but it will certainly need to be something the quarterback emphasizes next season to continue his growth and development on a team that believes in him.
He's already earned their respect, even some of the most seasoned veterans, and is likely going to attract free agents to New England, so some of the hardest parts of the job to earn are there for Maye, making his next goal a bit easier.
There's no reason to believe Maye can't accomplish this next goal throughout the offseason, as he's shown tremendous growth in a short amount of time. And now that he has postseason experience behind him, including a Super Bowl appearance, he has a lot of knowledge to share and a new level to lead his team to, which also makes becoming a more vocal leader an easy next step.