Insider Exposes NFL’s Thoughts on Patriots Rising Star

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye impressed a whole lot of people during his rookie campaign, but there is still cautious optimism surrounding the youngster heading into his second NFL season.

As good as Maye looked for stretches in 2024, he also showed some flaws, throwing 10 interceptions while fumbling nine times in 13 games and 12 starts.

Because of the uncertainty regarding Maye going into 2025, many do not know how to feel about the Patriots, even after a strong offseason in which they splurged in free agency and put together one heck of an NFL Draft class.

However, Maye seems to have a very good reputation around the league, Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated said during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

“A lot of it depends on how big of a jump Drake Maye takes,” Breer said of New England's playoff chances. “But I just know this: Drake Maye was seen as a pretty attractive bargaining chip for the Patriots on the coaching market and a pretty important piece for why Mike Vrabel picked New England. I just know people in the league think a lot of him.”

Maye threw for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns while completing 66.6 percent of his passes during his debut campaign, also rushing for 421 yards and a couple of scores on 7.8 yards per carry.

The Pats have also added much more viable weapons around the former No. 3 overall pick over the last several months, including four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Stefon Diggs. Not only that, but the Patriots have significantly upgraded their offensive line in front of him.

Of course, it will ultimately be on Maye to take that step forward in the fall and buck the ugly trend of sophomore slumps that have frequently befallen young signal-callers.