The hype around Drake Maye going into his second season with the Patriots last year was at a level we haven't seen in New England for a long time, and fortunately for all involved, including the fans, he delivered in every aspect and blew past all expectations. It's a big reason why they made it to the Super Bowl, and why they are considered real competition going into the 2026 season.
Some aspects of his game still need improvement, however, and they were on full display in the offense's meltdown against a very tough Seattle defense. While there is still incredible optimism about what Maye will do in Year 3, with expectations even higher, there is still a great need for growth, even as Patriots greats are voicing.
That's something Julian Edelman spoke about recently, and he just set the bar even higher for the young quarterback going into a very telling season.
Julian Edelman wants to see a lot of growth from Drake Maye in Year 3
While speaking to Sophie Weller of Patriots Wire last week, the legendary receiver shared what he wants to see from Maye in 2026.
Not only does he want to see how he can handle a less-than-perfect offensive line, which he struggled with in the Super Bowl, but he also wants to see the natural progression he is expected to make that should be a bit easier with more consistency in the coaching staff and the roster.
"Another year in the same system. This will be Year Two with Josh McDaniels. I think they're naturally going to get better together the longer they play together. Seeing him being able to handle those types of situations. We saw him explosive down the field. We saw him dink and dunk with the completion percentage. That was elite. We need to see him when (expletive) hits the fan.
That's what I want to see him, when it's gritty time. Like we saw all Super Bowl. It was tough to block those guys, but we still got to find a way."
Although this just adds to the pressure on Maye's shoulders, since so many legends are paying close attention to what the Patriots are doing, and especially him, Edelman isn't saying anything too outlandish that fans and the team aren't already hoping to see.
Maye has shown he's capable of the growth needed to become a top quarterback in the NFL through just two years, and the maturity and leadership that come with that were on full display last season.
He is now on a pedestal and has become more of a household name, so there are far more eyes on what he's doing, and hopefully, he can continue to show exactly why the Patriots believe he is their franchise quarterback for the long haul.
We already know he's talented on the field, but as Edelman said, we need to see how he handles adversity and if he can put the team on his back when things aren't going his way. That was his biggest weakness in the Super Bowl, but that experience will inevitably become more valuable over time.
There is plenty of confidence that he can accomplish it all and then some, but we just have to wait and see if he can handle the added pressure.