Patriots' Drake Maye open to potential Josh McDaniels suggestion

In January, former New England Patriots quarterback Matt Cassel detailed how longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels may make "adjustments" to the offense so that second-year signal-caller Drake Maye can use his legs more than Tom Brady did while playing under McDaniels. 

During a recent chat with the media at training camp, Maye was asked how he'd feel about taking off for planned runs during games. 

"Mixing in the quarterback run game is something I’m open to," Maye explained, as shared by Karen Guregian of MassLive. "I think it’s always tough when a defense has to cover that and keep that in mind." 

According to StatMuse, Maye finished his rookie season ranked ninth in the NFL among quarterbacks with 421 rushing yards on 54 attempts that he tallied across 13 games (12 starts). To compare, Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens topped the list with 915 yards on 139 carries over 17 contests. 

"I think it’s an even balance of gaining an extra hat," Maye continued. "When you have the quarterback run the football, you get an extra number. You make it 11-on-11 instead of 10-on-11. So, I think it’s always useful. At the end of the day, I’ll make some plays off-schedule, anyway." 

Maye has been warned about protecting both himself and the football after he endured a concussion scare last fall. Additionally, StatMuse shows that only three quarterbacks committed more turnovers than Maye (10 interceptions, six lost fumbles) last season. 

As much as McDaniels and first-year head coach Mike Vrabel want to utilize all of Maye's talents, it won't mean much for the 2025 Patriots if he averages over a turnover per game and/or misses time due to a serious injury he picks up on a designed run. 

"I think that’s important," Maye said about realizing it's sometimes better to throw the ball away and move on to the next down. "I faced that in college. My first year, I was kind of running around, doing some stuff I probably shouldn’t have out there with pads on. So I think it’s taking care of my body, and being smart but also knowing when it’s third down near the end zone ... I’m 6-5, and 230 pounds, so go get something."

Maye's decision-making won't truly be tested until New England opens the regular season against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 7. Thus, the 22-year-old has plenty of time to develop his game before his mistakes become more than just teaching moments.