Matt Ryan offers up some advice to Drake Maye

FOXBORO -- Following his 15-year playing career in the NFL and one season in the broadcast booth, former quarterback Matt Ryan is getting ready to join the crew at CBS' The NFL Today this season. Part of his summer homework for the new gig brought Ryan to Foxboro for Patriots training camp last week.

Ryan was on hand last Friday on a day that the offense really started to turn things around, as Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye moved the ball and helped the offense find the end zone on a fairly consistent basis. They also didn't make any of the backbreaking mistakes that have been prevalent from the offense this summer. 

WBZ-TV's Dan Roche caught up with Ryan after the practice, and the former NFL MVP said that he saw some good energy from the offense throughout the session. He was also impressed with what he saw from Maye, though he knows the rookie has a long way to go.

"We're not in on the meetings of what they're working on, but you look at body language and the way they're moving around, how they're throwing the football. I thought he did a good job,' Ryan said of the third overall pick. "We'll see how it goes."

Matt Ryan's advice to Drake Maye during his rookie season

Ryan spent some time with Maye after Friday's session, and passed along some important advice to the 21-year-old.

"Take it day by day. That's exactly what I told him after practice. I've gotten to know Drake a little bit and he's a really good guy and has a good head on his shoulders," said Ryan. "But it's hard. You're going to have days where it doesn't feel like it's going well, but you have to keep coming back every day with the same attitude, same type of intensity to see that little progression grow. Before you know it, you're going to feel comfortable. It just takes hard work day in and day out."

Ryan recalled his own ups and downs as a rookie, and said that bouncing back from those downs are an important part of the growing process.

"It was a little good, frustration, a little good, frustration. That's just how it is. And not just as a rookie; that's what it's like as a veteran," Ryan explained. "This league is so competitive, you're going against the best players week in and week out, and day in and day out at practice. For me, that process was tough. But I think the beauty of being young is you have the energy and the capacity to be able to handle it. He's in a good space to do that."

Ryan said that patience and positivity are big keys for any rookie.

"I wasn't the player I was in Year 10 four days into it. It takes time to build that," he said. "You have to remain positive. Keeping that positive outlook is key."

Matt Ryan says that Jacoby Brissett is a great mentor for Drake Maye

While there is certainly a lot of hype surrounding Maye this summer, the Patriots brought in veteran Jacoby Brissett to be the team's starter this season. Maye could have a clipboard in his hands for the majority of his rookie season, and Ryan believes Brissett is a great vet to learn under.

"It helps when you have a veteran guy who has been in a number of different systems, has played with a lot of success when he had opportunities, and been around guys who have been at the top of the position," said Ryan.

Ryan started every game as a rookie for the Atlanta Falcons, but said that he had veteran Chris Redman to help show him the way throughout.

"He had been around and could tell you to 'chill out.' I think Jacoby is a great mentor for [Drake]," he said.

Matt Ryan "fired up" for Bill O'Brien at Boston College

Returning to New England was a bit of a homecoming for Ryan, who first earned his "Matty Ice" nickname during his four seasons at Boston College. The Eagles were at their best when Ryan was under center, and he's hoping that Boston College is on the rise now that Bill O'Brien is at the helm of the program.

"I'm fired up. I've know Bill for a long time. He recruited me when he was at Georgia Tech and I was coming out of high school," said Ryan. "I've known him for a long time and competed against him a number of times in the NFL, followed him at Penn State, know some guys who played for him at Alabama. For him to come back to Boston, to be at Boston College with his pedigree, it's great for the program."

Boston College was 7-6 last year in Jeff Hafley's final season as head coach, though they went just 3-5 in ACC play. The Eagles did end the season on a high note, beating SMU in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

Ryan says that O'Brien has his share of challenges ahead of him, but he's bringing a lot of hype and excitement to The Heights for 2024.

"It's going to be challenging. The climate of college football is a lot different than when I played in it. That is just the obstacles that are in front of him," Ryan said of O'Brien. "He has the right mindset. He wants to be here, which is huge. And the fanbase around him, with a local guy coming home, is massive."

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