Patriots' Drake Maye shares his thoughts on Mike Vrabel, Josh McDaniels
FOXBORO -- Patriots quarterback Drake Maye will have an almost entirely new coaching staff leading him on the New England sideline in his second NFL season. But he's eager and excited to get to work with new head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels because of their extensive experience and success in the NFL.
In his rookie season, Maye was led by a rookie head coach in Jerod Mayo and an offensive coordinator who had never called plays before in Scott Van Pelt. The inexperience of the staff showed throughout the season, while Maye had to navigate his own rookie growing pains after being named the team's starter in Week 6.
Now Maye will have Vrabel as his head coach, who brings six years of head-coaching experience with him to the New England sideline, in addition to his playing experience that saw him win three Super Bowls with the Patriots. Though Maye was not at Vrabel's introductory press conference in Foxboro (he was a little busy getting engaged to his longtime girlfriend during a post-season vacation), he said that he's had some great conversations with his new head coach this offseason.
"He reached out to me, we got on the phone. He's been awesome," Maye told Amber Theoharis and Kirk Morrison on SiriusXM NFL Radio from the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, Florida on Thursday night. "Obviously a guy who has done it, played in the league, won [three] Super Bowl[s]; you have a respect of what he's done and seen what he's done.
"I think the biggest thing is he's been a head coach and he knows what it's like," added Maye. "So excited to get up to New England and get things going."
Vrabel has said that getting to work with and develop Maye was one of the biggest selling points of the New England job.
"[He's] exciting, talented, ready to learn and ready to continue to develop. He's athletic and mobile, and has the ability to make throws to all part of the field with his arm talent," Vrabel said of Maye in a 1-on-1 sit-down with WBZ-TV's Steve Burton. "But every year is a new process. There will be some new terminology and some carryover from what he's had. I know that he's ready to learn and is excited. We welcome that and want him to lead our football team."
Vrabel hired Josh McDaniels for his third go-around as Patriots offensive coordinator to help continue Maye's development, and Maye cannot wait to get to work with the man who spent 15 years coaching the GOAT himself, Tom Brady.
Drake Maye on Josh McDaniels
Maye doesn't have to look far to get a good grasp of McDaniels' work, since it's mostly within the walls of Gillette Stadium. McDaniels was on Bill Belichick's staff for all six of New England's Super Bowl titles, including four as the team's offensive coordinator.
Maye cannot wait to work with McDaniels and pick his brain.
"Coach McDaniels, obviously what he's done [with the Patriots] and the success he's had, I'm fortunate to be able to have a guy come in who has done it at a high level and learn from him coaching one of the best ever -- the best ever in my opinion, Tom," Maye said. "So I have a great chance to go back -- all those years of film he has in the little database, it's all their play-calls, all Coach McDaniels' stuff and what he did with Tom. So it's fortunate for me to go back and study it up and get ready for this next season."
Maye said situational football is the biggest part of his game he wants to work on this offseason.
"Playing my position, you have to be in tune in every situation. It's on you. Those guys are looking at you, the other 10 guys on the field," he said. "It's your job to get things going and get things on the right page. So I think situational football and just continuing to grow as a leader."
While Maye and the Patriots struggled to win games during his rookie season, finishing 4-13 on the year, the quarterback is hopeful that big things are coming to New England in 2025.
"We got a great fan base and we'll figure it out. So, we got some more games to win, but it was a great learning experience this year," he said.
